diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4d4b303ce..70bf4b339 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ add_custom_command(
         PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}
         LIBDIR=${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR}
         INCLUDEDIR=${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR}
-        ${CARGO} build --release --no-default-features
+        ${CARGO} build --release --no-default-features --features jsonrpc
 
 	# Build in `deltachat-ffi` directory instead of using
 	# `--package deltachat_ffi` to avoid feature resolver version
diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
index 390a23745..877187d48 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ crate-type = ["cdylib", "staticlib"]
 
 [dependencies]
 deltachat = { path = "../", default-features = false }
-deltachat-jsonrpc = { path = "../deltachat-jsonrpc" }
+deltachat-jsonrpc = { path = "../deltachat-jsonrpc", optional = true }
 libc = "0.2"
 human-panic = "1"
 num-traits = "0.2"
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ thiserror = "1"
 rand = "0.7"
 
 [features]
-default = ["vendored"]
+default = ["vendored", "jsonrpc"]
 vendored = ["deltachat/vendored"]
 nightly = ["deltachat/nightly"]
+jsonrpc = ["deltachat-jsonrpc"]
 
diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index c258a588f..cd1f04983 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -4426,14 +4426,18 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_accounts_get_next_event(
         .unwrap_or_else(ptr::null_mut)
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "jsonrpc")]
 use deltachat_jsonrpc::api::CommandApi;
+#[cfg(feature = "jsonrpc")]
 use deltachat_jsonrpc::yerpc::{MessageHandle, RpcHandle};
 
+#[cfg(feature = "jsonrpc")]
 pub struct dc_json_api_instance_t {
     receiver: async_std::channel::Receiver<deltachat_jsonrpc::yerpc::Message>,
     handle: MessageHandle<CommandApi>,
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "jsonrpc")]
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_get_json_api(
     account_manager: *mut dc_accounts_t,
@@ -4454,6 +4458,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_get_json_api(
     Box::into_raw(Box::new(instance))
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "jsonrpc")]
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_json_api_unref(json_api_instance: *mut dc_json_api_instance_t) {
     if json_api_instance.is_null() {
@@ -4464,6 +4469,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_json_api_unref(json_api_instance: *mut dc_json_api_i
     Box::from_raw(json_api_instance);
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "jsonrpc")]
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_json_request(
     json_api_instance: *mut dc_json_api_instance_t,
@@ -4482,6 +4488,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_json_request(
     });
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "jsonrpc")]
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_get_next_json_response(
     json_api_instance: *mut dc_json_api_instance_t,
diff --git a/node/scripts/rebuild-core.js b/node/scripts/rebuild-core.js
index 80dedcce5..9ff794773 100644
--- a/node/scripts/rebuild-core.js
+++ b/node/scripts/rebuild-core.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const buildArgs = [
   'build',
   '--release',
   '--features',
-  'vendored',
+  'vendored,jsonrpc',
   '-p',
   'deltachat_ffi'
 ]