diff --git a/common/Makefile.am b/common/Makefile.am
index d7855ccb3..5ea63f827 100644
--- a/common/Makefile.am
+++ b/common/Makefile.am
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ common_libswsscommon_la_SOURCES = \
 
 common_libswsscommon_la_CXXFLAGS = $(DBGFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS_COMMON) $(LIBNL_CFLAGS) $(CODE_COVERAGE_CXXFLAGS)
 common_libswsscommon_la_CPPFLAGS = $(DBGFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS_COMMON) $(LIBNL_CPPFLAGS) $(CODE_COVERAGE_CPPFLAGS)
-common_libswsscommon_la_LIBADD = -lpthread $(LIBNL_LIBS) $(CODE_COVERAGE_LIBS) -lzmq -lboost_serialization -luuid -lyang -ldashapi
+common_libswsscommon_la_LIBADD = -lpthread $(LIBNL_LIBS) $(CODE_COVERAGE_LIBS) -lzmq -lboost_serialization -luuid -lyang
 common_libswsscommon_la_LDFLAGS = -Wl,-z,now $(LDFLAGS)
 
 common_swssloglevel_SOURCES =  \
diff --git a/common/redisreply.cpp b/common/redisreply.cpp
index 0d3048511..f5dfd83e0 100644
--- a/common/redisreply.cpp
+++ b/common/redisreply.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include "config.h"
+
 #include <set>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
@@ -15,7 +17,9 @@
 #include "common/rediscommand.h"
 #include "common/stringutility.h"
 
+#ifdef DASH_API_INSTALLED
 #include <dash_api/utils.h>
+#endif
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace boost;
@@ -320,6 +324,7 @@ string RedisReply::to_string(redisReply *reply,const vector<string> &commands)
 
     auto command = boost::to_upper_copy<string>(commands[0]);
 
+#ifdef DASH_API_INSTALLED
     if (commands.size() > 1)
     {
         if (reply->type == REDIS_REPLY_ARRAY
@@ -331,6 +336,7 @@ string RedisReply::to_string(redisReply *reply,const vector<string> &commands)
             return formatPbReply(reply->element, reply->elements, commands[1]);
         }
     }
+#endif
 
     return to_string(reply, command);
 }
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 33b017500..0055130f3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBNL], [libnl-3.0 libnl-genl-3.0 libnl-route-3.0 libnl-nf-3.
         CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $LIBNL_CFLAGS"
         LIBS="$LIBS $LIBNL_LIBS"
 
+AC_CHECK_LIB([dashapi], [PbBinaryToJsonString], [
+	AC_DEFINE(DASH_API_INSTALLED, 1, [Define if DASH API is installed])
+	LIBS="$LIBS -ldashapi"
+],)
+
 LDFLAGS="-Wl,--no-undefined $LDFLAGS"
 AC_SUBST([LDFLAGS])