diff -urN libglade-2.4.2.orig/configure.in libglade-2.4.2/configure.in
--- libglade-2.4.2.orig/configure.in	2005-02-11 12:42:58.000000000 +0100
+++ libglade-2.4.2/configure.in	2005-03-22 01:22:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -52,11 +52,33 @@
 AC_PATH_PROG(PKG_CONFIG, pkg-config, no)
 
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBGLADE, [dnl
-  libxml-2.0 >= required_libxml_version dnl
   atk >= required_atk_version dnl
   gtk+-2.0 >= required_gtk_version dnl
   glib-2.0 >= required_glib_version])
 
+disable_xml2=no
+AC_ARG_WITH([libxml2],
+  AC_HELP_STRING([--without-libxml2], [Don't use libxml2, use Glib's GMarkupParser instead]),
+  [disable_xml2=yes],
+  [disable_xml2=no])
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if we are using libxml2])
+if test "x$disable_xml2" == "xno"; then
+  AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(XML2, libxml-2.0 >= 2.4.10)
+  PKGCFG_REQUIRE_LIBXML2="libxml-2.0"
+  LIBGLADE_CFLAGS="$LIBGLADE_CFLAGS $XML2_CFLAGS"
+  LIBGLADE_LIBS="$LIBGLADE_LIBS $XML2_LIBS"
+else
+  LIBGLADE_CFLAGS="$LIBGLADE_CFLAGS -DUSE_GMARKUP_PARSER"
+  PKGCFG_REQUIRE_LIBXML2=""
+  AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+fi
+
+AC_SUBST(XML2_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(XML2_CFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(PKGCFG_REQUIRE_LIBXML2)
+
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for native Win32])
 case "$host" in
   *-*-mingw*)
@@ -116,6 +138,21 @@
   fi
 fi
 
+if test "x$disable_xml2" == "xyes"; then
+  echo "*****************************************************"
+  echo "  You chose to disable libxml2 and use Glib's"
+  echo "  GMarkupParser instead." 
+  echo  
+  echo "  Please bear in mind that using libglade with"
+  echo "  GMarkupParser is an experimental feature only."
+  echo
+  echo "  Please post problems or success stories to"
+  echo "  the glade-devel mailing list. Thank you."
+  echo "*****************************************************"
+fi
+
+
+
 GTK_DOC_CHECK(1.0)
 
 dnl gettext stuff ... there is no message catalog for libglade -- libglade
diff -urN libglade-2.4.2.orig/glade/glade-parser.c libglade-2.4.2/glade/glade-parser.c
--- libglade-2.4.2.orig/glade/glade-parser.c	2004-11-11 11:56:13.000000000 +0100
+++ libglade-2.4.2/glade/glade-parser.c	2005-03-22 01:20:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -34,7 +34,15 @@
 #  define dgettext(Domain, String) (String)
 #endif
 
-#include <libxml/parser.h>
+#ifdef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+#  include <zlib.h>
+#else
+#  include <libxml/parser.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifdef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+#  define xmlChar gchar
+#endif
 
 #include "glade-parser.h"
 #include "glade-private.h"
@@ -508,7 +516,9 @@
     case PARSER_START:
 	if (!strcmp(name, "glade-interface")) {
 	    state->state = PARSER_GLADE_INTERFACE;
-#if 0
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+ #if 0
 	    /* check for correct XML namespace */
 	    for (i = 0; attrs && attrs[i] != NULL; i += 2) {
 		if (!strcmp(attrs[i], "xmlns") &&
@@ -518,7 +528,9 @@
 		    g_warning("unknown attribute `%s' for <glade-interface>",
 			      attrs[i]);
 	    }
+ #endif
 #endif
+
 	} else {
 	    g_warning("Expected <glade-interface>.  Got <%s>.", name);
 	    state->prev_state = state->state;
@@ -1063,12 +1075,18 @@
     }
 }
 
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 static xmlEntityPtr
 glade_parser_get_entity(GladeParseState *state, const xmlChar *name)
 {
     return xmlGetPredefinedEntity(name);
 }
 
+#endif /* !defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 static void
 glade_parser_warning(GladeParseState *state, const char *msg, ...)
 {
@@ -1079,6 +1097,10 @@
     va_end(args);
 }
 
+#endif /* !defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 static void
 glade_parser_error(GladeParseState *state, const char *msg, ...)
 {
@@ -1089,6 +1111,10 @@
     va_end(args);
 }
 
+#endif /* !defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 static void
 glade_parser_fatal_error(GladeParseState *state, const char *msg, ...)
 {
@@ -1099,6 +1125,10 @@
     va_end(args);
 }
 
+#endif /* !defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 static xmlSAXHandler glade_parser = {
     (internalSubsetSAXFunc)NULL,                       /* internalSubset */
     (isStandaloneSAXFunc)NULL,                         /* isStandalone */
@@ -1126,6 +1156,82 @@
     (fatalErrorSAXFunc)glade_parser_fatal_error,       /* fatalError */
 };
 
+#else /* USE_GMARKUP_PARSER */
+
+static void
+glade_parser_start_element_wrapper(GMarkupParseContext *context,
+                                   const gchar         *name, 
+                                   const gchar        **attr_names,
+                                   const gchar        **attr_values,
+                                   gpointer             state,
+                                   GError             **error)
+{
+    guint i = 0;
+
+    /* Pack attribute names/values from two separate
+     *  arrays (GMarkupParser style) into one single
+     *  array (libxml SAXParser style). This is not
+     *  very efficient, but we do it to make the
+     *  GMarkupParser code as little invasive as
+     *  possible. */
+
+    while (attr_names[i] != NULL) {
+      ++i;
+    }
+
+    if (1)
+    {
+        const gchar *attr[(i*2)+1];
+        guint j, k;
+       
+        for (j=0, k=0;  k < i;  j += 2)
+        {
+            attr[j] = attr_names[k];
+            attr[j+1] = attr_values[k];
+            ++k;
+        }
+        attr[i*2] = NULL;
+
+        glade_parser_start_element((GladeParseState*)state, name, attr);
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+glade_parser_end_element_wrapper(GMarkupParseContext *context, 
+                                 const gchar         *name,
+                                 gpointer             state,
+                                 GError             **err)
+{
+    glade_parser_end_element((GladeParseState*)state, name);
+}
+
+static void
+glade_parser_characters_wrapper(GMarkupParseContext *context, 
+                                const gchar         *chars, 
+                                gsize                len,
+                                gpointer             state,
+                                GError             **err)
+{
+    glade_parser_characters((GladeParseState*)state, chars, (int) len);
+}
+
+static void
+glade_parser_error(GMarkupParseContext *context, GError *err, gpointer data)
+{
+    g_log("Glade-Parser", G_LOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL, "%s", err->message);
+}
+
+static const GMarkupParser   glade_parser = {
+    glade_parser_start_element_wrapper,  /* element open   */
+    glade_parser_end_element_wrapper,    /* element close  */
+    glade_parser_characters_wrapper,     /* text content   */
+    NULL,                                /* passthrough    */
+    glade_parser_error,                  /* parse error    */
+};
+
+#endif /* USE_GMARKUP_PARSER */
+
+
 static void
 widget_info_free(GladeWidgetInfo *info)
 {
@@ -1191,6 +1297,9 @@
  *
  * Returns: the GladeInterface structure for the XML file.
  */
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 GladeInterface *
 glade_parser_parse_file(const gchar *file, const gchar *domain)
 {
@@ -1222,6 +1331,31 @@
     return state.interface;
 }
 
+#else /* defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
+GladeInterface *
+glade_parser_parse_file(const gchar *file, const gchar *domain)
+{
+    GladeInterface  *interface;
+    GError          *err     = NULL;
+    gchar           *content = NULL;
+    gsize            clen;
+
+    if (!g_file_get_contents(file, &content, &clen, &err)) {
+        g_warning("could not load glade file: %s", err->message);
+        g_error_free(err);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    interface = glade_parser_parse_buffer(content, (gint) clen, domain);
+
+    g_free(content);
+
+    return interface;
+}
+
+#endif /* USE_GMARKUP_PARSER */
+
 /**
  * glade_parser_parse_buffer
  * @buffer: a buffer in memory containing XML data.
@@ -1237,6 +1371,9 @@
  *
  * Returns: the GladeInterface structure for the XML buffer.
  */
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 GladeInterface *
 glade_parser_parse_buffer(const gchar *buffer, gint len, const gchar *domain)
 {
@@ -1263,6 +1400,161 @@
     return state.interface;
 }
 
+#else /* defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
+
+static GladeInterface *
+glade_parser_parse_buffer_internal(const gchar *buffer, gint len, const gchar *domain)
+{
+	GMarkupParseContext  *context;
+	GladeParseState       state = { 0 };
+	GError               *err   = NULL;
+
+	state.interface = NULL;
+	if (domain)
+		state.domain = domain;
+	else
+		state.domain = textdomain(NULL);
+
+	/* FIXME: This strstr() is not safe, as it ignores the len
+	 *        argument and assumes the buffer is NUL-terminated */
+	if (strstr(buffer, "<?xml") == NULL) {
+		g_warning("No XML header found in document!");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	context = g_markup_parse_context_new(&glade_parser, (GMarkupParseFlags) 0, &state, NULL);
+
+	glade_parser_start_document(&state);
+
+	if (!g_markup_parse_context_parse(context, buffer, (gssize) len, &err)) {
+		g_warning("document not well formed: %s", err->message);
+		g_error_free(err);
+		if (state.interface)
+			glade_interface_destroy (state.interface);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	glade_parser_end_document(&state);
+
+	if (state.state != PARSER_FINISH) {
+		g_warning("did not finish in PARSER_FINISH state!");
+
+		if (state.interface)
+			glade_interface_destroy(state.interface);
+
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return state.interface;
+}
+
+struct _gzip_rfc1952_hdr
+{
+	guint8	id1, id2, cm, flags;
+	guint32 mtime;
+	guint8  xflags;
+	guint8  os;
+};
+
+static GladeInterface *
+glade_parser_parse_gzipped_buffer(const gchar *buffer, gint len, const gchar *domain)
+{
+	struct _gzip_rfc1952_hdr *hdr = (struct _gzip_rfc1952_hdr*)buffer;
+	struct z_stream_s         zstream;
+	GladeInterface           *interface;
+	const guint8             *cbuf;              /* start of compressed data */
+	guint8                   *decompress_buf;
+	gulong                    decompress_len = 0;
+	gint                      ret;
+
+	g_assert(hdr != NULL && hdr->id1 == 0x1f && hdr->id2 == 0x8b);
+
+	if (hdr->cm != Z_DEFLATED) {
+		g_warning("Unknown decompression method %u", (guint) hdr->cm);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	/* Uncompressed size (modulo 2^32) is last
+	 *  4 bytes of gzipped file, and little endian.
+	 *  See RFC 1952 */
+	decompress_len = GUINT32_FROM_LE(*((guint32*)(((guint8*)buffer) + len - 4)));
+
+	/* paranoid mode: glade files > 5MB are unlikely */
+	g_return_val_if_fail(decompress_len < 5*1024*1024, NULL);
+
+	decompress_buf = g_malloc0(decompress_len + 1); /* +1 for NUL-terminator */
+
+	/* find start of compressed data, skipping header stuff */
+	cbuf = (guint8*)buffer + 10;
+	if (hdr->flags & 0x04) {
+		guint16 xlen = GUINT16_FROM_LE(*((guint16*)cbuf));
+		cbuf += xlen + 2;
+	}
+	if (hdr->flags & 0x08) {
+		guint16 onamelen = strlen(cbuf);
+		cbuf += onamelen + 1;
+	}
+	if (hdr->flags & 0x10) {
+		guint16 commentlen = strlen(cbuf);
+		cbuf += commentlen + 1;
+	}
+	if (hdr->flags & 0x02)
+	{
+		cbuf += 2; /* skip header CRC16 */
+	}
+
+	zstream.next_in  = (void*)cbuf;
+	zstream.avail_in = (uLongf) len - ((void*)cbuf-(void*)buffer) - 4 - 4 +1; 
+	zstream.next_out = decompress_buf;
+	zstream.avail_out= decompress_len;
+	zstream.zalloc   = Z_NULL;
+	zstream.zfree    = Z_NULL;
+	zstream.opaque   = Z_NULL;
+
+	ret = inflateInit2(&zstream, -MAX_WBITS);
+
+	if (ret != Z_OK) {
+		g_warning("inflateInit2() failed. zlib error code: %d", ret);
+		g_free(decompress_buf);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	ret = inflate(&zstream, Z_FINISH);
+
+	if (ret != Z_STREAM_END) {
+		g_warning("zlib decompression failed. zlib error code: %d", ret);
+		g_free(decompress_buf);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	interface = glade_parser_parse_buffer_internal(decompress_buf, decompress_len, domain);
+
+	g_free(decompress_buf);
+
+	return interface;
+}
+
+GladeInterface *
+glade_parser_parse_buffer(const gchar *buffer, gint len, const gchar *domain)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail(buffer != NULL, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(len > 0, NULL);
+
+	/* Check if buffer is gzipped */
+	if (buffer[0] == 0x1f && buffer[1] == (gchar)0x8b) {
+		return glade_parser_parse_gzipped_buffer(buffer, len, domain);
+	}
+
+	/* Buffer is cleartext. */
+	return glade_parser_parse_buffer_internal(buffer, len, domain);
+}
+
+#endif /* USE_GMARKUP_PARSER */
+
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 static void
 dump_widget(xmlNode *parent, GladeWidgetInfo *info, gint indent)
 {
@@ -1382,6 +1674,8 @@
 	xmlNodeAddContent(widget, "  ");
 }
 
+#endif /* !defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
 /**
  * glade_interface_dump
  * @interface: the GladeInterface
@@ -1390,6 +1684,9 @@
  * This function dumps the contents of a GladeInterface into a file as
  * XML.  It is intended mainly as a debugging tool.
  */
+
+#ifndef USE_GMARKUP_PARSER
+
 void
 glade_interface_dump(GladeInterface *interface, const gchar *filename)
 {
@@ -1428,6 +1725,17 @@
     xmlFreeDoc(doc);
 }
 
+#else /* defined(USE_GMARKUP_PARSER) */
+
+void
+glade_interface_dump(GladeInterface *interface, const gchar *filename)
+{
+    g_warning("glade_interface_dump() is only available with libxml2.");
+}
+
+#endif /* USE_GMARKUP_PARSER */
+
+
 #if 0
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv) {
diff -urN libglade-2.4.2.orig/libglade-2.0.pc.in libglade-2.4.2/libglade-2.0.pc.in
--- libglade-2.4.2.orig/libglade-2.0.pc.in	2001-12-12 15:28:23.000000000 +0100
+++ libglade-2.4.2/libglade-2.0.pc.in	2005-03-22 01:20:00.000000000 +0100
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 Name: Libglade
 Description: a library for dynamically loading GLADE interface files
 Version: @VERSION@
-Requires: gtk+-2.0 libxml-2.0
+Requires: gtk+-2.0 @PKGCFG_REQUIRE_LIBXML2@
 Libs: -L${libdir} -lglade-2.0
 Cflags: -I${includedir}/libglade-2.0