diff --git a/.gnulib b/.gnulib
index f40e61ea0c..b72ff2a45e 160000
--- a/.gnulib
+++ b/.gnulib
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit f40e61ea0c4940b027aade7dd48948aa93f133a4
+Subproject commit b72ff2a45efde544c406804186d37a3254728571
diff --git a/HACKING b/HACKING
index a310faa067..2b5c9fbe86 100644
--- a/HACKING
+++ b/HACKING
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ developer is:
   git checkout -t origin -b workbranch
   Hack, committing any changes along the way
 
-Then, when you want to post your patches:
+More hints on compiling can be found here <compiling.html>. When you want to
+post your patches:
 
   git pull --rebase
   (fix any conflicts)
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index d4957f1b02..42e56082f3 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ fi
 # we rerun bootstrap to pull in those diffs.
 bootstrap_hash()
 {
+    if test "$no_git"; then
+        echo no-git
+        return
+    fi
     git submodule status | sed 's/^[ +-]//;s/ .*//'
     git hash-object bootstrap.conf
     git ls-tree -d HEAD gnulib/local | awk '{print $3}'
@@ -62,7 +66,9 @@ bootstrap_hash()
 # Only run bootstrap from a git checkout, never from a tarball.
 if test -d .git; then
     curr_status=.git-module-status t=
-    if test -d .gnulib; then
+    if test "$no_git"; then
+        t=no-git
+    elif test -d .gnulib; then
         t=$(bootstrap_hash; git diff .gnulib)
     fi
     case $t:${CLEAN_SUBMODULE+set} in
@@ -78,7 +84,7 @@ if test -d .git; then
         # good, it's up to date, all we need is autoreconf
         autoreconf -if
     else
-        if test ${CLEAN_SUBMODULE+set}; then
+        if test -z "$no_git" && test ${CLEAN_SUBMODULE+set}; then
             echo cleaning up submodules...
             git submodule foreach 'git clean -dfqx && git reset --hard'
         fi
diff --git a/bootstrap b/bootstrap
index 0cbea66e8f..9c522049f0 100755
--- a/bootstrap
+++ b/bootstrap
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # Print a version string.
-scriptversion=2013-05-08.20; # UTC
+scriptversion=2013-07-03.20; # UTC
 
 # Bootstrap this package from checked-out sources.
 
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ fi
 echo "$0: Bootstrapping from checked-out $package sources..."
 
 # See if we can use gnulib's git-merge-changelog merge driver.
-if test -d .git && (git --version) >/dev/null 2>/dev/null ; then
+if $use_git && test -d .git && (git --version) >/dev/null 2>/dev/null ; then
   if git config merge.merge-changelog.driver >/dev/null ; then
     :
   elif (git-merge-changelog --version) >/dev/null 2>/dev/null ; then
@@ -574,13 +574,17 @@ git_modules_config () {
   test -f .gitmodules && git config --file .gitmodules "$@"
 }
 
-gnulib_path=$(git_modules_config submodule.gnulib.path)
-test -z "$gnulib_path" && gnulib_path=gnulib
+if $use_git; then
+  gnulib_path=$(git_modules_config submodule.gnulib.path)
+  test -z "$gnulib_path" && gnulib_path=gnulib
+fi
 
-# Get gnulib files.
+# Get gnulib files.  Populate $GNULIB_SRCDIR, possibly updating a
+# submodule, for use in the rest of the script.
 
 case ${GNULIB_SRCDIR--} in
 -)
+  # Note that $use_git is necessarily true in this case.
   if git_modules_config submodule.gnulib.url >/dev/null; then
     echo "$0: getting gnulib files..."
     git submodule init || exit $?
@@ -601,8 +605,8 @@ case ${GNULIB_SRCDIR--} in
   GNULIB_SRCDIR=$gnulib_path
   ;;
 *)
-  # Use GNULIB_SRCDIR as a reference.
-  if test -d "$GNULIB_SRCDIR"/.git && \
+  # Use GNULIB_SRCDIR directly or as a reference.
+  if $use_git && test -d "$GNULIB_SRCDIR"/.git && \
         git_modules_config submodule.gnulib.url >/dev/null; then
     echo "$0: getting gnulib files..."
     if git submodule -h|grep -- --reference > /dev/null; then
@@ -628,6 +632,9 @@ case ${GNULIB_SRCDIR--} in
   ;;
 esac
 
+# $GNULIB_SRCDIR now points to the version of gnulib to use, and
+# we no longer need to use git or $gnulib_path below here.
+
 if $bootstrap_sync; then
   cmp -s "$0" "$GNULIB_SRCDIR/build-aux/bootstrap" || {
     echo "$0: updating bootstrap and restarting..."
diff --git a/cfg.mk b/cfg.mk
index bbe84b3174..147e788a6d 100644
--- a/cfg.mk
+++ b/cfg.mk
@@ -828,6 +828,7 @@ ifeq (0,$(MAKELEVEL))
       test -d .git || { echo 0; exit; };				\
       test -f po/Makevars || { echo 1; exit; };				\
       test -f AUTHORS || { echo 1; exit; };				\
+      test "no-git" = "$$(cat $(_curr_status))" && { echo 0; exit; };	\
       actual=$$(git submodule status | $(_submodule_hash);		\
 		git hash-object bootstrap.conf;				\
 		git ls-tree -d HEAD gnulib/local | awk '{print $$3}';	\
diff --git a/docs/compiling.html.in b/docs/compiling.html.in
index 66d2925a5d..aff5487e9a 100644
--- a/docs/compiling.html.in
+++ b/docs/compiling.html.in
@@ -65,8 +65,36 @@
       checkout it is necessary to generate the configure script and Makefile.in
       templates using the <code>autogen.sh</code> command. By default when
       the <code>configure</code> script is run from within a GIT checkout, it
-      will turn on -Werror for builds. This can be disabled with --disable-werror,
-      but this is not recommended. To build &amp; install libvirt to your home
+      will turn on -Werror for builds. This can be disabled with
+      --disable-werror, but this is not recommended.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Libvirt takes advantage of
+      the <a href="http://www.gnu.org/software/gnulib/">gnulib</a>
+      project to provide portability to a number of platforms.  This
+      is normally done dynamically via a git submodule in
+      the <code>.gnulib</code> subdirectory, which is auto-updated as
+      needed when you do incremental builds.  Setting the environment
+      variable <code>GNULIB_SRCDIR</code> to a local directory
+      containing a git checkout of gnulib will let you reduce local
+      disk space requirements and network download time, regardless of
+      which actual commit you have in that reference directory.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      However, if you are developing on a platform where git is not
+      available, or are behind a firewall that does not allow for git
+      to easily obtain the gnulib submodule, it is possible to instead
+      use a static mode of operation where you are then responsible
+      for updating the git submodule yourself.  In this mode, you must
+      track the exact gnulib commit needed by libvirt (usually not the
+      latest gnulib.git) via alternative means, such as a shared NFS
+      drive or manual download, and run this any time libvirt.git
+      updates the commit stored in the .gnulib submodule:</p>
+    <pre>
+      $ GNULIB_SRCDIR=/path/to/gnulib ./autogen.sh --no-git
+    </pre>
+
+    <p>To build &amp; install libvirt to your home
       directory the following commands can be run:
     </p>
 
diff --git a/docs/hacking.html.in b/docs/hacking.html.in
index 904b846e01..78d4df69c5 100644
--- a/docs/hacking.html.in
+++ b/docs/hacking.html.in
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@
   git checkout -t origin -b workbranch
   Hack, committing any changes along the way
 </pre>
-        <p>Then, when you want to post your patches:</p>
+        <p>More hints on compiling can be
+        found <a href="compiling.html">here</a>.  When you want to
+        post your patches:</p>
 <pre>
   git pull --rebase
   (fix any conflicts)