diff --git a/distros/debian/rules b/distros/debian/rules
index 50d77ea..534655b 100755
--- a/distros/debian/rules
+++ b/distros/debian/rules
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ override_dh_auto_configure:
 	dh_auto_configure -- \
 	  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr \
 	  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR=/etc \
+	  -DCOMPILE_GPU=1 \
 	  -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE=OFF \
 	  -DCMAKE_COLOR_MAKEFILE=ON
 
diff --git a/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt b/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt
index d9f3f8c..61cbbc6 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/openalpr/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,5 +57,8 @@ install (FILES   alpr.h     DESTINATION    ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/include)
 install (TARGETS openalpr-static DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib)
 install (TARGETS openalpr   DESTINATION    ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib)
 
+# Compile GPU detector
+#add_definitions(-DCOMPILE_GPU=1)
+
 # Add definition for default config file
 add_definitions(-DDEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE="${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR}/openalpr/openalpr.conf")
diff --git a/src/openalpr/constants.h b/src/openalpr/constants.h
index cf1e3bb..6c07c40 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/constants.h
+++ b/src/openalpr/constants.h
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
   #define DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE 	"/etc/openalpr/openalpr.conf"
 #endif
 
+#ifndef COMPILE_GPU
+  #define COMPILE_GPU 0 
+#endif
+
 #define ENV_VARIABLE_CONFIG_FILE "OPENALPR_CONFIG_FILE"
 
 #endif // OPENALPR_CONSTANTS_H
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.cpp b/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.cpp
index 64c9a7b..8c3e617 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.cpp
+++ b/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "detectorcuda.h"
 
+#if COMPILE_GPU
 
 using namespace cv;
 using namespace std;
@@ -137,4 +138,6 @@ namespace alpr
 
   }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.h b/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.h
index 927e046..4890f98 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.h
+++ b/src/openalpr/detection/detectorcuda.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #ifndef OPENALPR_DETECTORCUDA_H
 #define	OPENALPR_DETECTORCUDA_H
 
+#if COMPILE_GPU
+
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <vector>
@@ -50,6 +52,8 @@ namespace alpr
   };
 
 }
-  
+
+#endif 
+
 #endif	/* OPENALPR_DETECTORCUDA_H */
 
diff --git a/src/openalpr/detection/detectorfactory.cpp b/src/openalpr/detection/detectorfactory.cpp
index 07d7e94..cab0427 100644
--- a/src/openalpr/detection/detectorfactory.cpp
+++ b/src/openalpr/detection/detectorfactory.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,13 @@ namespace alpr
     }
     else if (config->gpu_mode == 1)
     {
+      #if COMPILE_GPU
       return new DetectorCUDA(config);
+      #else
+      std::cerr << "Error: GPU detector requested, but GPU extensions are not compiled.  " <<
+              "Add COMPILE_GPU=1 to the compiler definitions to enable GPU compilation." <<
+              std::endl;
+      #endif
     }
   }