diff --git a/Hipmunk.cabal b/Hipmunk.cabal
--- a/Hipmunk.cabal
+++ b/Hipmunk.cabal
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Tested-With:   GHC
 Category:      Physics, Game
 Name:          Hipmunk
-Version:       5.2.0.3
+Version:       5.2.0.4
 Stability:     provisional
 License:       OtherLicense
 License-File:  LICENSE
@@ -20,7 +20,14 @@
       Please see <http://hackage.haskell.org/package/HipmunkPlayground>
       for a demonstration of this library.
       .
+      New in version 5.2.0.4:
+      .
+      * New system-chipmunk flag.  When activated, the package will
+        use the system-wide installed Chipmunk library.  Thanks,
+        Joachim Breitner.
+      .
       New in version 5.2.0.3:
+      .
       * Update to Chipmunk 5.3.5 and bump dependencies to
         match GHC 7.2.1. (Thanks, Sönke Hahn!)
       .
@@ -115,6 +122,9 @@
   Description: Enable debugging.
   Default: False
 
+Flag system-chipmunk
+  Description: Use the system-wide installed chipmunk library
+  Default: False
 
 Library
   Exposed-Modules:
@@ -129,38 +139,47 @@
   Other-Modules:
       Physics.Hipmunk.Internal
   Include-Dirs:
-      Physics/Hipmunk,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/include/chipmunk
+      Physics/Hipmunk
   Includes:
       wrapper.h
-  C-Sources:
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/chipmunk.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpConstraint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpDampedRotarySpring.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpDampedSpring.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpGearJoint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpGrooveJoint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpPinJoint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpPivotJoint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpRatchetJoint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpRotaryLimitJoint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpSimpleMotor.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpSlideJoint.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpArbiter.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpArray.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpBB.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpBody.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpCollision.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpHashSet.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpPolyShape.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpShape.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpace.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceComponent.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceHash.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceQuery.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceStep.c,
-      Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpVect.c,
-      Physics/Hipmunk/wrapper.c
+
+  if flag(system-chipmunk)
+    Include-Dirs:
+        /usr/include/chipmunk
+    Extra-libraries:
+        chipmunk
+  else
+    Include-Dirs:
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/include/chipmunk
+    C-Sources:
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/chipmunk.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpConstraint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpDampedRotarySpring.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpDampedSpring.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpGearJoint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpGrooveJoint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpPinJoint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpPivotJoint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpRatchetJoint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpRotaryLimitJoint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpSimpleMotor.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/constraints/cpSlideJoint.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpArbiter.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpArray.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpBB.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpBody.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpCollision.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpHashSet.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpPolyShape.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpShape.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpace.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceComponent.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceHash.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceQuery.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpSpaceStep.c,
+        Chipmunk-5.3.5/src/cpVect.c,
+        Physics/Hipmunk/wrapper.c
+
   if flag(small_base)
     Build-Depends: base >= 3 && < 5,
                    array >= 0.1 && < 0.4,
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+Version 5.2.0.4
+===============
+ - New system-chipmunk flag.  When activated, the package will
+   use the system-wide installed Chipmunk library.  Thanks,
+   Joachim Breitner.
+
 Version 5.2.0.3
 ===============
  - Update to Chipmunk 5.3.5 and bump dependencies to