diff --git a/crates/runner/Cargo.toml b/crates/runner/Cargo.toml
index 6008e2d..c4efd9c 100644
--- a/crates/runner/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/runner/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ repository.workspace = true
 authors.workspace = true
 description = "Execute revive contracts in a simulated blockchain runtime"
 
+[features]
+default = ["solidity"]
+solidity = ["revive-solidity", "revive-differential"]
+
 [dependencies]
 serde = { workspace = true }
 serde_json = { workspace = true }
@@ -24,5 +28,5 @@ polkadot-sdk.features = [
     "pallet-timestamp"
 ]
 
-revive-solidity = { workspace = true }
-revive-differential = { workspace = true }
+revive-solidity = { workspace = true, optional = true }
+revive-differential = { workspace = true, optional = true }
diff --git a/crates/runner/src/lib.rs b/crates/runner/src/lib.rs
index a988ffb..ece3d32 100644
--- a/crates/runner/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/runner/src/lib.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ pub use crate::specs::*;
 mod runtime;
 mod specs;
 
+#[cfg(not(feature = "revive-solidity"))]
+pub(crate) const NO_SOLIDITY_FRONTEND: &str =
+    "revive-runner was built without the solidity frontend; please enable the 'solidity' feature!";
+
 /// The alice test account
 pub const ALICE: H160 = H160([1u8; 20]);
 /// The bob test account
@@ -218,6 +222,7 @@ impl CallResult {
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub enum Code {
+    #[cfg(feature = "revive-solidity")]
     /// Compile a single solidity source and use the blob of `contract`
     Solidity {
         path: Option<std::path::PathBuf>,
@@ -242,6 +247,7 @@ impl Default for Code {
 impl From<Code> for pallet_revive::Code {
     fn from(val: Code) -> Self {
         match val {
+            #[cfg(feature = "solidity")]
             Code::Solidity {
                 path,
                 contract,
diff --git a/crates/runner/src/specs.rs b/crates/runner/src/specs.rs
index cd6f13d..e2941b7 100644
--- a/crates/runner/src/specs.rs
+++ b/crates/runner/src/specs.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 use std::time::Instant;
 
 use pallet_revive::AddressMapper;
-use revive_differential::{Evm, EvmLog};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 use crate::*;
 use alloy_primitives::Address;
+#[cfg(feature = "revive-solidity")]
+use revive_differential::{Evm, EvmLog};
+#[cfg(feature = "revive-solidity")]
 use revive_solidity::test_utils::*;
 
 const SPEC_MARKER_BEGIN: &str = "/* runner.json";
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ pub enum SpecsAction {
     },
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "solidity")]
 impl SpecsAction {
     /// Derive verification actions from the EVM output log
     pub fn derive_verification(
@@ -219,6 +222,7 @@ impl Specs {
             };
 
             match code {
+                #[cfg(feature = "revive-solidity")]
                 Code::Bytes(bytes) if bytes.is_empty() => {
                     let contract_source = match std::fs::read_to_string(contract_path) {
                         Err(err) => panic!("unable to read {contract_path}: {err}"),
@@ -226,6 +230,9 @@ impl Specs {
                     };
                     *bytes = compile_blob(contract_name, &contract_source)
                 }
+                #[cfg(not(feature = "revive-solidity"))]
+                Code::Bytes(_) => panic!("{NO_SOLIDITY_FRONTEND}"),
+                #[cfg(feature = "revive-solidity")]
                 Code::Solidity { path, .. } if path.is_none() => *path = Some(contract_path.into()),
                 _ => continue,
             }
@@ -236,6 +243,9 @@ impl Specs {
     /// The test takes a [`Specs`] and executes the actions in order
     pub fn run(self) -> Vec<CallResult> {
         if self.differential {
+            #[cfg(not(feature = "solidity"))]
+            panic!("{NO_SOLIDITY_FRONTEND}");
+            #[cfg(feature = "solidity")]
             self.run_on_evm()
         } else {
             self
@@ -243,6 +253,7 @@ impl Specs {
         .run_on_pallet()
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "solidity")]
     fn run_on_evm(self) -> Self {
         let mut derived_specs = Self {
             actions: vec![],