diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 62f8c11e8..f01b07862 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2009,6 +2009,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 	src/sw-collector/Makefile
 	src/sec-updater/Makefile
 	src/swanctl/Makefile
+	src/xfrmi/Makefile
 	scripts/Makefile
 	testing/Makefile
 ])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 6eacbe293..b28aba75e 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -143,3 +143,7 @@ endif
 if USE_TPM
   SUBDIRS += tpm_extendpcr
 endif
+
+if USE_KERNEL_NETLINK
+  SUBDIRS += xfrmi
+endif
diff --git a/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/.gitignore b/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/.gitignore
index 5d4f4c897..e05064df6 100644
--- a/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/.gitignore
+++ b/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 kernel_netlink_tests
-xfrmi
diff --git a/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/Makefile.am b/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/Makefile.am
index 1600f8ece..71bc09d5b 100644
--- a/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/Makefile.am
@@ -24,13 +24,6 @@ libstrongswan_kernel_netlink_la_LIBADD = $(DLLIB)
 
 libstrongswan_kernel_netlink_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version
 
-ipsec_PROGRAMS = xfrmi
-xfrmi_SOURCES = xfrmi.c
-xfrmi_LDADD = \
-	libstrongswan-kernel-netlink.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/libstrongswan/libstrongswan.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/libcharon/libcharon.la
-
 TESTS = kernel_netlink_tests
 
 check_PROGRAMS = $(TESTS)
diff --git a/src/xfrmi/.gitignore b/src/xfrmi/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53b7fe780
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xfrmi/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+xfrmi
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/xfrmi/Makefile.am b/src/xfrmi/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9fedcf17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xfrmi/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+ipsec_PROGRAMS = xfrmi
+
+xfrmi_SOURCES = xfrmi.c
+
+AM_CPPFLAGS = \
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/src/libstrongswan \
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/src/libcharon \
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink
+
+xfrmi_LDADD = \
+	$(top_builddir)/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/libstrongswan-kernel-netlink.la \
+	$(top_builddir)/src/libstrongswan/libstrongswan.la \
+	$(top_builddir)/src/libcharon/libcharon.la
diff --git a/src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/xfrmi.c b/src/xfrmi/xfrmi.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/libcharon/plugins/kernel_netlink/xfrmi.c
rename to src/xfrmi/xfrmi.c