diff --git a/common/include/minix/sef.h b/common/include/minix/sef.h
index bd9e8fadd..d78b39553 100644
--- a/common/include/minix/sef.h
+++ b/common/include/minix/sef.h
@@ -231,5 +231,10 @@ _PROTOTYPE( void sef_cb_signal_handler_posix_default, (int signo) );
 #define sef_signal_debug_begin          sef_debug_begin
 #define sef_signal_debug_end            sef_debug_end
 
+#if !defined(USE_LIVEUPDATE)
+#undef INTERCEPT_SEF_LU_REQUESTS
+#undef SEF_LU_DEBUG
+#endif
+
 #endif /* _SEF_H */
 
diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 7c7f7916c..5703a6211 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -73,6 +73,14 @@ SRCS+= 	debug.c
 CPPFLAGS+= -DUSE_SYSDEBUG
 .endif
 
+.if ${USE_LIVEUPDATE} != "no"
+CPPFLAGS+= -DUSE_UPDATE
+.endif
+
+.if ${USE_STATECTL} != "no"
+CPPFLAGS+= -DUSE_STATECTL
+.endif
+
 # These come last, so the profiling buffer is at the end of the data segment
 SRCS+= profile.c do_sprofile.c
 
diff --git a/kernel/config.h b/kernel/config.h
index b688f4769..3fff2d3d4 100644
--- a/kernel/config.h
+++ b/kernel/config.h
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@
 #define USE_PHYSCOPY  	   1 	/* copy using physical addressing */
 #define USE_MEMSET  	   1	/* write char to a given memory area */
 #define USE_RUNCTL         1	/* control stop flags of a process */
-#define USE_UPDATE         1	/* update a process into another */
-#define USE_STATECTL       1    /* let a process control its state */
 
 /* Length of program names stored in the process table. This is only used
  * for the debugging dumps that can be generated with the IS server. The PM
diff --git a/lib/libdriver/Makefile b/lib/libdriver/Makefile
index 3f2a1c7cb..4d74e0cc7 100644
--- a/lib/libdriver/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libdriver/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 # Makefile for libdriver
+.include <bsd.own.mk>
 
 LIB=	driver
 
 SRCS=	driver.c drvlib.c mq.c
 
+.if ${USE_STATECTL} != "no"
+CPPFLAGS+= -DUSE_STATECTL
+.endif
+
 .include <bsd.lib.mk>
diff --git a/lib/libdriver/driver.c b/lib/libdriver/driver.c
index e90054ce6..3fe6d05b8 100644
--- a/lib/libdriver/driver.c
+++ b/lib/libdriver/driver.c
@@ -230,10 +230,12 @@ PUBLIC void driver_announce()
    * For this reason, there may blocked callers when a driver restarts.
    * Ask the kernel to unblock them (if any).
    */
+#if USE_STATECTL
   r = sys_statectl(SYS_STATE_CLEAR_IPC_REFS);
   if (r != OK) {
 	panic("driver_announce: sys_statectl failed: %d\n", r);
   }
+#endif
 
   /* Publish a driver up event. */
   r = ds_retrieve_label_name(label, getprocnr());
diff --git a/lib/libsys/Makefile b/lib/libsys/Makefile
index 1ba8c4f29..a67c57a91 100644
--- a/lib/libsys/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libsys/Makefile
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ SRCS+=	gcov.c \
 CPPFLAGS+= -DUSE_COVERAGE
 .endif
 
+.if ${USE_LIVEUPDATE} != "no"
+CPPFLAGS+= -DUSE_LIVEUPDATE
+.endif
+
 CPPFLAGS.sched_start.c+=	-I${MINIXSRCDIR}
 
 .if (${CC} == "gcc") || (${CC} == "clang")
diff --git a/lib/libsys/sef.c b/lib/libsys/sef.c
index d5066a89e..cbe31344b 100644
--- a/lib/libsys/sef.c
+++ b/lib/libsys/sef.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ PUBLIC void sef_startup()
   sef_self_priv_flags = priv_flags;
   old_endpoint = NONE;
 
+#if USE_LIVEUPDATE
   /* RS may wake up with the wrong endpoint, perfom the update in that case. */
   if((sef_self_priv_flags & ROOT_SYS_PROC) && sef_self_endpoint != RS_PROC_NR) {
       r = vm_update(RS_PROC_NR, sef_self_endpoint);
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ PUBLIC void sef_startup()
       old_endpoint = sef_self_endpoint;
       sef_self_endpoint = RS_PROC_NR;
   }
+#endif /* USE_LIVEUPDATE */
 
 #if INTERCEPT_SEF_INIT_REQUESTS
   /* Intercept SEF Init requests. */
diff --git a/servers/rs/main.c b/servers/rs/main.c
index de1561699..cd287241c 100644
--- a/servers/rs/main.c
+++ b/servers/rs/main.c
@@ -430,6 +430,7 @@ PRIVATE int sef_cb_init_fresh(int type, sef_init_info_t *info)
   if (OK != (s=sys_setalarm(RS_DELTA_T, 0)))
       panic("couldn't set alarm: %d", s);
 
+#if USE_LIVEUPDATE
   /* Now create a new RS instance with a private page table and let the current
    * instance live update into the replica. Clone RS' own slot first.
    */
@@ -489,6 +490,7 @@ PRIVATE int sef_cb_init_fresh(int type, sef_init_info_t *info)
       }
       NOT_REACHABLE;
   }
+#endif /* USE_LIVEUPDATE */
 
   return(OK);
 }
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index c4192bfd3..570172e97 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -759,7 +759,8 @@ _MKVARS.yes= \
 	MKYP
 #MINIX-specific vars
 _MKVARS.yes+= \
-	MKWATCHDOG MKACPI MKAPIC MKMCONTEXT MKDEBUGREG MKSYSDEBUG
+	MKWATCHDOG MKACPI MKAPIC MKMCONTEXT MKDEBUGREG MKSYSDEBUG \
+	MKLIVEUPDATE MKSTATECTL
 .for var in ${_MKVARS.yes}
 ${var}?=	yes
 .endfor
@@ -826,6 +827,8 @@ MKMCONTEXT:=	no
 MKCOVERAGE:=	no
 MKDEBUGREG:=	no
 MKSYSDEBUG:=	no
+MKLIVEUPDATE:=	no
+MKSTATECTL:=	no
 .endif
 
 #
@@ -887,7 +890,8 @@ ${var}?= no
 # variable is set to "no".
 #
 .for var in USE_HESIOD USE_INET6 USE_KERBEROS USE_LDAP USE_PAM USE_YP \
-USE_WATCHDOG USE_ACPI USE_APIC USE_MCONTEXT USE_DEBUGREG USE_SYSDEBUG
+USE_WATCHDOG USE_ACPI USE_APIC USE_MCONTEXT USE_DEBUGREG USE_SYSDEBUG \
+USE_LIVEUPDATE USE_STATECTL
 .if (${${var:S/USE_/MK/}} == "no")
 ${var}:= no
 .else