--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = Makefile.in aclocal.m4 configure config.h.in config.h.in~
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
-SUBDIRS = contrib src
+SUBDIRS = src
 
 dist_man_MANS = man/nutcracker.8
 
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -197,11 +197,8 @@ AS_IF([test "x$disable_stats" = xyes],
   [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_STATS], [1], [Define to 1 if stats is not disabled])])
 AC_MSG_RESULT($disable_stats)
 
-# Untar the yaml-0.2.5 in contrib/ before config.status is rerun
-AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS_PRE([tar xvfz contrib/yaml-0.2.5.tar.gz -C contrib])
-
-# Call yaml-0.2.5 ./configure recursively
-AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([contrib/yaml-0.2.5])
+# Use systems libyaml.
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([YAML], [yaml-0.1 >= 0.2.5])
 
 # Define Makefiles
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ endif
 AM_CPPFLAGS += -I $(top_srcdir)/src/hashkit
 AM_CPPFLAGS += -I $(top_srcdir)/src/proto
 AM_CPPFLAGS += -I $(top_srcdir)/src/event
-AM_CPPFLAGS += -I $(top_srcdir)/contrib/yaml-0.2.5/include
 
 AM_CFLAGS =
 # about -fno-strict-aliasing: https://github.com/twitter/twemproxy/issues/276
@@ -20,9 +19,10 @@ AM_CFLAGS += -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-unused-value
 AM_CFLAGS += -Wconversion -Wsign-compare
 AM_CFLAGS += -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-prototypes -Wredundant-decls -Wmissing-declarations
 AM_CFLAGS += -Wno-format-zero-length
+AM_CFLAGS += $(YAML_CFLAGS)
 
 AM_LDFLAGS =
-AM_LDFLAGS += -lm -lpthread -rdynamic
+AM_LDFLAGS += -lm -lpthread -rdynamic $(YAML_LIBS)
 if OS_SOLARIS
 AM_LDFLAGS += -lnsl -lsocket
 endif
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ nutcracker_SOURCES =			\
 nutcracker_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/hashkit/libhashkit.a
 nutcracker_LDADD += $(top_builddir)/src/proto/libproto.a
 nutcracker_LDADD += $(top_builddir)/src/event/libevent.a
-nutcracker_LDADD += $(top_builddir)/contrib/yaml-0.2.5/src/.libs/libyaml.a
 
 TESTS = test_all
 bin_PROGRAMS = test_all
@@ -86,4 +85,3 @@ test_all_SOURCES = test_all.c \
 test_all_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/hashkit/libhashkit.a
 test_all_LDADD += $(top_builddir)/src/proto/libproto.a
 test_all_LDADD += $(top_builddir)/src/event/libevent.a
-test_all_LDADD += $(top_builddir)/contrib/yaml-0.2.5/src/.libs/libyaml.a