diff --git a/src/creport.c b/src/creport.c
index 20f3130d1..338cfe156 100644
--- a/src/creport.c
+++ b/src/creport.c
@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@ without prior permission by the authors of Eressea.
 #include <util/nrmessage.h>
 #include <quicklist.h>
 
-#include <libxml/encoding.h>
-
 /* libc includes */
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -1470,7 +1468,6 @@ report_computer(const char *filename, report_context * ctx, const char *charset)
 #if SCORE_MODULE
   int score = 0, avgscore = 0;
 #endif
-  int enc = xmlParseCharEncoding(charset);
   FILE *F = fopen(filename, "wt");
 
   if (era < 0) {
@@ -1479,7 +1476,7 @@ report_computer(const char *filename, report_context * ctx, const char *charset)
   if (F == NULL) {
     perror(filename);
     return -1;
-  } else if (enc == XML_CHAR_ENCODING_UTF8) {
+  } else if (_strcmpl(charset, "utf-8")==0 || _strcmpl(charset, "utf8")==0) {
     const unsigned char utf8_bom[4] = { 0xef, 0xbb, 0xbf, 0 };
     fwrite(utf8_bom, 1, 3, F);
   }
diff --git a/src/gmtool.c b/src/gmtool.c
index 26d913872..df76b6965 100644
--- a/src/gmtool.c
+++ b/src/gmtool.c
@@ -59,14 +59,13 @@
 #include <util/console.h>
 #include <util/listbox.h>
 
-#include <libxml/encoding.h>
-
 #include <storage.h>
 #include <lua.h>
 
 #include <assert.h>
-#include <string.h>
 #include <locale.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 static int g_quit;
 int force_color = 0;
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index 9a5d8655e..9b9af1f62 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 #include <critbit.h>
 #include <util/crmessage.h>
 #include <util/event.h>
-#include <util/functions.h>
 #include <util/language.h>
+#include <util/filereader.h>
+#include <util/functions.h>
 #include <util/log.h>
 #include <util/lists.h>
 #include <util/parser.h>
@@ -72,9 +73,11 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 #include <util/umlaut.h>
 #include <util/xml.h>
 
+#ifdef USE_LIBXML2
 /* libxml includes */
 #include <libxml/tree.h>
 #include <libxml/xpath.h>
+#endif
 
 /* external libraries */
 #include <iniparser.h>
@@ -3139,8 +3142,9 @@ void load_inifile(dictionary * d)
   lomem = iniparser_getint(d, "eressea:lomem", lomem) ? 1 : 0;
 
   str = iniparser_getstring(d, "eressea:encoding", NULL);
-  if (str)
-    enc_gamedata = xmlParseCharEncoding(str);
+  if (str && (_strcmpl(str, "utf8")==0 || _strcmpl(str, "utf-8")==0)) {
+    enc_gamedata = ENCODING_UTF8;
+  }
 
   verbosity = iniparser_getint(d, "eressea:verbose", 2);
   sqlpatch = iniparser_getint(d, "eressea:sqlpatch", false);
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.c b/src/kernel/save.c
index f31c60e2b..5bc26a84c 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.c
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 #include <storage.h>
 #include <binarystore.h>
 
-#include <libxml/encoding.h>
-
 /* libc includes */
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -92,7 +90,7 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 /* exported symbols symbols */
 const char *game_name = "eressea";
 int firstx = 0, firsty = 0;
-int enc_gamedata = XML_CHAR_ENCODING_UTF8;
+int enc_gamedata = ENCODING_UTF8;
 
 /* local symbols */
 static region *current_region;
diff --git a/src/report.c b/src/report.c
index 3e87dc98c..10a35b3cb 100644
--- a/src/report.c
+++ b/src/report.c
@@ -82,8 +82,6 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 #include <quicklist.h>
 #include <util/rng.h>
 
-#include <libxml/encoding.h>
-
 /* libc includes */
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -1472,15 +1470,14 @@ report_template(const char *filename, report_context * ctx, const char *charset)
   char buf[8192], *bufp;
   size_t size;
   int bytes;
-
-  int enc = xmlParseCharEncoding(charset);
+  bool utf8 = _strcmpl(charset, "utf8")==0 || _strcmpl(charset, "utf-8")==0;
 
   if (F == NULL) {
     perror(filename);
     return -1;
   }
 
-  if (enc == XML_CHAR_ENCODING_UTF8) {
+  if (utf8) {
     const unsigned char utf8_bom[4] = { 0xef, 0xbb, 0xbf, 0 };
     fwrite(utf8_bom, 1, 3, F);
   }
@@ -2106,7 +2103,7 @@ report_plaintext(const char *filename, report_context * ctx,
   seen_region *sr = NULL;
   char buf[8192];
   char *bufp;
-  int enc = xmlParseCharEncoding(charset);
+  bool utf8 = _strcmpl(charset, "utf8")==0 || _strcmpl(charset, "utf-8")==0;
   size_t size;
 
   /* static variables can cope with writing for different turns */
@@ -2126,7 +2123,7 @@ report_plaintext(const char *filename, report_context * ctx,
     perror(filename);
     return -1;
   }
-  if (enc == XML_CHAR_ENCODING_UTF8) {
+  if (utf8) {
     const unsigned char utf8_bom[4] = { 0xef, 0xbb, 0xbf, 0 };
     fwrite(utf8_bom, 1, 3, F);
   }
diff --git a/src/util/filereader.c b/src/util/filereader.c
index 12ef3add4..2a49b7bdd 100644
--- a/src/util/filereader.c
+++ b/src/util/filereader.c
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 #include <util/log.h>
 #include <util/unicode.h>
 
-#include <libxml/encoding.h>
-
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <wctype.h>
 
@@ -322,7 +320,7 @@ static const char *getbuf_utf8(FILE * F)
 
 const char *getbuf(FILE * F, int encoding)
 {
-  if (encoding == XML_CHAR_ENCODING_UTF8)
+  if (encoding == ENCODING_UTF8)
     return getbuf_utf8(F);
   return getbuf_latin1(F);
 }
diff --git a/src/util/filereader.h b/src/util/filereader.h
index 9637c1394..116e2341a 100644
--- a/src/util/filereader.h
+++ b/src/util/filereader.h
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#define ENCODING_UTF8   0
+#define ENCODING_LATIN1 1
+
   const char *getbuf(FILE *, int encoding);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/util/xml.c b/src/util/xml.c
index b55836e5a..b4f7dadac 100644
--- a/src/util/xml.c
+++ b/src/util/xml.c
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@
 /* util includes */
 #include "log.h"
 
+#ifdef USE_LIBXML2
 #include <libxml/catalog.h>
 #include <libxml/xmlstring.h>
+#endif
 
 /* libc includes */
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
 
+#ifdef USE_LIBXML2
 const xmlChar *xml_i(double number)
 {
   static char buffer[128];
@@ -85,7 +88,6 @@ double xml_fvalue(xmlNodePtr node, const char *name, double dflt)
 #include <libxml/parser.h>
 #include <libxml/xinclude.h>
 
-#ifdef USE_LIBXML2
 typedef struct xml_reader {
   struct xml_reader *next;
   xml_callback callback;