diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Changelog for HLint
 
+1.9.9
+    #89, fix compiling the executable with --flag=-gpl
 1.9.8
     #82, don't crash on XmlHybrid modules
     #88, allow avoiding HsColour, as it is GPL licensed
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@
     $ hlint --find=src/Utils.hs
     -- hints found in src/Util.hs
     warn = null (intersect a b) ==> disjoint a b
-    warn = dropWhile isSpace ==> ltrim
+    warn = dropWhile isSpace ==> trimStart
     infixr 5 !:
 
 These hints are suitable for inclusion in a custom hint file. You can also include Haskell fixity declarations in a hint file, and these will also be extracted. If you pass only `--find` flags then the hints will be written out, if you also pass files/folders to check, then the found hints will be automatically used when checking.
diff --git a/hlint.cabal b/hlint.cabal
--- a/hlint.cabal
+++ b/hlint.cabal
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 cabal-version:      >= 1.6
 build-type:         Simple
 name:               hlint
-version:            1.9.8
+version:            1.9.9
 license:            BSD3
 license-file:       LICENSE
 category:           Development
@@ -109,8 +109,10 @@
     build-depends:      base
     hs-source-dirs:     src
     main-is:            Main.hs
-
+ 
     ghc-options:        -fno-warn-overlapping-patterns
     if flag(threaded)
         ghc-options:    -threaded
 
+    if !flag(gpl)
+        cpp-options: -DGPL_SCARES_ME