diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index ffbc52c9..a3f7f73b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ HISTORY
 
   ++ New features:
 
+  2015-02-11: Frederick Baksik
+  opt.h, def.h, others: patch #8423 "arch/perf.h" should be made an optional item
+
   2015-02-11: Simon Goldschmidt
   * api_msg.c, opt.h: started to implement fullduplex sockets/netconns
    (note that this is highly unstable yet!)
diff --git a/src/core/ipv4/ip4.c b/src/core/ipv4/ip4.c
index 1c7129c3..5a6b1185 100644
--- a/src/core/ipv4/ip4.c
+++ b/src/core/ipv4/ip4.c
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
 #include "lwip/dhcp.h"
 #include "lwip/autoip.h"
 #include "lwip/stats.h"
-#include "arch/perf.h"
 
 #include <string.h>
 
diff --git a/src/core/pbuf.c b/src/core/pbuf.c
index 1a91d750..d7508312 100644
--- a/src/core/pbuf.c
+++ b/src/core/pbuf.c
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@
 #include "lwip/memp.h"
 #include "lwip/pbuf.h"
 #include "lwip/sys.h"
-#include "arch/perf.h"
 #if LWIP_TCP && TCP_QUEUE_OOSEQ
 #include "lwip/tcp_impl.h"
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/raw.c b/src/core/raw.c
index 243dd66b..a0bf0e55 100644
--- a/src/core/raw.c
+++ b/src/core/raw.c
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 #include "lwip/netif.h"
 #include "lwip/raw.h"
 #include "lwip/stats.h"
-#include "arch/perf.h"
 #include "lwip/ip6.h"
 #include "lwip/ip6_addr.h"
 #include "lwip/inet_chksum.h"
diff --git a/src/core/tcp_in.c b/src/core/tcp_in.c
index 9eedfc22..2f3dbd6b 100644
--- a/src/core/tcp_in.c
+++ b/src/core/tcp_in.c
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
 #include "lwip/inet_chksum.h"
 #include "lwip/stats.h"
 #include "lwip/snmp.h"
-#include "arch/perf.h"
 #include "lwip/ip6.h"
 #include "lwip/ip6_addr.h"
 #include "lwip/inet_chksum.h"
diff --git a/src/core/udp.c b/src/core/udp.c
index b2eb1a14..47c6cfe5 100644
--- a/src/core/udp.c
+++ b/src/core/udp.c
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@
 #include "lwip/icmp6.h"
 #include "lwip/stats.h"
 #include "lwip/snmp.h"
-#include "arch/perf.h"
 #include "lwip/dhcp.h"
 
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/src/include/lwip/def.h b/src/include/lwip/def.h
index c985a875..5d2c7b14 100644
--- a/src/include/lwip/def.h
+++ b/src/include/lwip/def.h
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@
 /* arch.h might define NULL already */
 #include "lwip/arch.h"
 #include "lwip/opt.h"
+#if LWIP_PERF
+#include "arch/perf.h"
+#else /* LWIP_PERF */
+#define PERF_START    /* null definition */
+#define PERF_STOP(x)  /* null definition */
+#endif /* LWIP_PERF */
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
diff --git a/src/include/lwip/opt.h b/src/include/lwip/opt.h
index 690bc951..e3895737 100644
--- a/src/include/lwip/opt.h
+++ b/src/include/lwip/opt.h
@@ -2796,4 +2796,17 @@
 #define IP6_DEBUG                       LWIP_DBG_OFF
 #endif
 
+/*
+   --------------------------------------------------
+   ---------- Performance tracking options ----------
+   --------------------------------------------------
+*/
+/**
+ * LWIP_PERF: Enable performance testing for lwIP
+ * (if enabled, arch/perf.h is included)
+ */
+#ifndef LWIP_PERF
+#define LWIP_PERF                       0
+#endif
+
 #endif /* LWIP_HDR_OPT_H */