diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 764ef6d617..fef234c788 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ SRCS_MENCODER = mencoder.c \
                 mp_msg-mencoder.c \
                 $(SRCS_COMMON) \
                 libvo/aclib.c \
-                libvo/font_load.c \
                 libvo/osd.c \
                 libvo/sub.c \
                 parser-mecmd.c \
@@ -247,6 +246,9 @@ COMMON_DEPS += libass/libass.a
 COMMON_LIBS += libass/libass.a
 PARTS += libass
 endif
+ifeq ($(BITMAP_FONT),yes)
+SRCS_MENCODER += libvo/font_load.c
+endif
 # FontConfig and FreeType need to come after ASS to avoid link failures on MinGW
 COMMON_LIBS += $(FONTCONFIG_LIB)
 ifeq ($(FREETYPE),yes)
diff --git a/mencoder.c b/mencoder.c
index f0c988b6e2..998d179cc4 100644
--- a/mencoder.c
+++ b/mencoder.c
@@ -534,6 +534,7 @@ if (frameno_filename) {
   if(!font_fontconfig)
   {
 #endif
+#ifdef HAVE_BITMAP_FONT
   if(font_name){
        vo_font=read_font_desc(font_name,font_factor,verbose>1);
        if(!vo_font) mp_msg(MSGT_CPLAYER,MSGL_ERR,MSGTR_CantLoadFont,font_name);
@@ -543,6 +544,7 @@ if (frameno_filename) {
        if(!vo_font)
        vo_font=read_font_desc(MPLAYER_DATADIR "/font/font.desc",font_factor,verbose>1);
   }
+#endif
 #ifdef HAVE_FONTCONFIG
   }
 #endif