diff --git a/core/Cargo.toml b/core/Cargo.toml
index 5306737551..4c2fa3df0a 100644
--- a/core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/core/Cargo.toml
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ strsim = "0.10.0"
 pretty_assertions.workspace = true
 assert_matches.workspace = true
 criterion.workspace = true
-nickel-lang-utils.workspace = true
+nickel-lang-utils = { workspace = true, features = ["pprof"] }
 similar.workspace = true
 test-generator.workspace = true
 
diff --git a/utils/Cargo.toml b/utils/Cargo.toml
index bdd3481a7a..a9e30bc44c 100644
--- a/utils/Cargo.toml
+++ b/utils/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ repository.workspace = true
 bench = false
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
+[features]
+pprof = ["dep:pprof"]
+
 [dependencies]
 nickel-lang-core.workspace = true
 criterion.workspace = true
@@ -21,4 +24,4 @@ serde = { workspace = true, features = ["derive"] }
 toml = { workspace = true, features = ["parse"] }
 
 [target.'cfg(target_family = "unix")'.dependencies]
-pprof = { workspace = true, features = ["criterion", "flamegraph"] }
+pprof = { workspace = true, features = ["criterion", "flamegraph"], optional = true }
diff --git a/utils/src/bench.rs b/utils/src/bench.rs
index db3c836d16..6179e07266 100644
--- a/utils/src/bench.rs
+++ b/utils/src/bench.rs
@@ -141,10 +141,10 @@ pub fn bench_terms<'r>(rts: Vec<Bench<'r>>) -> Box<dyn Fn(&mut Criterion) + 'r>
     })
 }
 
-/// Create a `Criterion` config. Uses the `PProfProfiler` on Unix systems.
+/// Create a `Criterion` config. Uses `PProfProfiler` when `pprof` is enabled on Unix systems.
 pub fn criterion_config() -> Criterion {
     let config = Criterion::default();
-    #[cfg(target_family = "unix")]
+    #[cfg(all(target_family = "unix", feature = "pprof"))]
     let config = config.with_profiler(pprof::criterion::PProfProfiler::new(
         100,
         pprof::criterion::Output::Flamegraph(None),