diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 09a9cbb..13a7d6f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -111,6 +111,14 @@ else (INSTALL_UDEV_RULES)
     message (STATUS "Udev rules not being installed, install them with -DINSTALL_UDEV_RULES=ON")
 endif (INSTALL_UDEV_RULES)
 
+option(DETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER "Detach kernel driver if loaded" OFF)
+if (DETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER)
+    message (STATUS "Building with kernel driver detaching enabled")
+    add_definitions(-DDETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER=1)
+else (DETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER)
+    message (STATUS "Building with kernel driver detaching disabled, use -DDETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER=ON to enable")
+endif (DETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER)
+
 ########################################################################
 # Add subdirectories
 ########################################################################
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 954d2ef..ce47d89 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ AC_TRY_COMPILE([],[],
   AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
   CFLAGS="$old_CFLAGS")
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(driver-detach,
+[  --enable-driver-detach          Enable detaching of kernel driver (disabled by default)],
+[if test x$enableval = xyes; then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DDETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER"
+fi])
+
 dnl Generate the output
 AC_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
 
diff --git a/src/librtlsdr.c b/src/librtlsdr.c
index 2f5d90a..ddebb48 100644
--- a/src/librtlsdr.c
+++ b/src/librtlsdr.c
@@ -1351,12 +1351,22 @@ int rtlsdr_open(rtlsdr_dev_t **out_dev, uint32_t index)
 
 	if (libusb_kernel_driver_active(dev->devh, 0) == 1) {
 		dev->driver_active = 1;
+
+#ifdef DETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER
 		if (!libusb_detach_kernel_driver(dev->devh, 0)) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Detached kernel driver\n");
 		} else {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Detaching kernel driver failed!");
 			goto err;
 		}
+#else
+		fprintf(stderr, "\nKernel driver is active, or device is "
+				"claimed by second instance of librtlsdr."
+				"\nIn the first case, please either detach"
+				" or blacklist the kernel module\n"
+				"(dvb_usb_rtl28xxu), or enable automatic"
+				" detaching at compile time.\n\n");
+#endif
 	}
 
 	r = libusb_claim_interface(dev->devh, 0);
@@ -1484,12 +1494,14 @@ int rtlsdr_close(rtlsdr_dev_t *dev)
 
 	libusb_release_interface(dev->devh, 0);
 
+#ifdef DETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER
 	if (dev->driver_active) {
 		if (!libusb_attach_kernel_driver(dev->devh, 0))
 			fprintf(stderr, "Reattached kernel driver\n");
 		else
 			fprintf(stderr, "Reattaching kernel driver failed!\n");
 	}
+#endif
 
 	libusb_close(dev->devh);