diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+0.8.0.5
+
+*  Make homebrew optional #(99)
+
 0.8.0.4
 
 * Fixed tests to work with ICU < 72 (#94)
diff --git a/text-icu.cabal b/text-icu.cabal
--- a/text-icu.cabal
+++ b/text-icu.cabal
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 cabal-version:  1.18
   -- 1.18 introduced extra-doc-files
 name:           text-icu
-version:        0.8.0.4
+version:        0.8.0.5
 synopsis:       Bindings to the ICU library
 homepage:       https://github.com/haskell/text-icu
 bug-reports:    https://github.com/haskell/text-icu/issues
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@
   GHC == 8.0.2
   GHC == 7.10.3
 
+flag homebrew
+  Description: Assume homebrew on macOS. Automatically add /usr/local/opt/ and /usr/homebrew/opt/ paths to extra-lib-dirs and include-dirs.
+  Default:     True
+  Manual:      True
+
 library
   default-language:  Haskell98
   build-depends:
@@ -122,7 +127,7 @@
   c-sources: cbits/text_icu.c
   cc-options: -Wall -Wextra -pedantic -Wno-deprecated
   include-dirs: include
-  if os(darwin)
+  if os(darwin) && flag(homebrew)
     extra-lib-dirs:
       /usr/local/opt/icu4c/lib
       /opt/homebrew/opt/icu4c/lib