diff --git a/build/platform.simulator.mak b/build/platform.simulator.mak
index 07f1edd9e..08adf7f99 100644
--- a/build/platform.simulator.mak
+++ b/build/platform.simulator.mak
@@ -8,4 +8,13 @@ TARGET ?= $(HOST)
 
 BUILD_DIR := $(BUILD_DIR)/$(TARGET)
 
+EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG ?= 1
+
 include build/platform.simulator.$(TARGET).mak
+
+SFLAGS += -DEPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG=$(EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG)
+
+ifeq ($(EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG),1)
+SFLAGS += `libpng-config --cflags`
+LDFLAGS += `libpng-config --ldflags`
+endif
diff --git a/build/platform.simulator.web.mak b/build/platform.simulator.web.mak
index 0a39c53f8..2dae8cadd 100644
--- a/build/platform.simulator.web.mak
+++ b/build/platform.simulator.web.mak
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 TOOLCHAIN = emscripten
 EXE = js
+EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG = 0
diff --git a/build/targets.simulator.mak b/build/targets.simulator.mak
index 8899125c7..1d6573daf 100644
--- a/build/targets.simulator.mak
+++ b/build/targets.simulator.mak
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 # Headless targets
 epsilon_headless_src = $(base_src) $(ion_headless_src) $(apps_default_src)
 $(BUILD_DIR)/epsilon.headless.$(EXE): $(call object_for,$(epsilon_headless_src))
-$(BUILD_DIR)/epsilon.headless.$(EXE): LDFLAGS += `libpng-config --ldflags`
 
 test_runner_headless_src = $(test_base_src) $(ion_headless_src)
 $(BUILD_DIR)/test.headless.$(EXE): $(call object_for,$(test_runner_headless_src))
-$(BUILD_DIR)/test.headless.$(EXE): LDFLAGS += `libpng-config --ldflags`
 
 HANDY_TARGETS += epsilon.headless test.headless
 
diff --git a/ion/src/simulator/Makefile b/ion/src/simulator/Makefile
index b8547460b..e7511833d 100644
--- a/ion/src/simulator/Makefile
+++ b/ion/src/simulator/Makefile
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@ ion_simulator_headless_src += $(addprefix ion/src/simulator/shared/, \
   main_headless.cpp \
 )
 
-$(call object_for,ion/src/simulator/shared/framebuffer_png.cpp): SFLAGS += `libpng-config --cflags`
-
 ion_console_stdio_src = ion/src/simulator/shared/console_stdio.cpp
 
 include ion/src/simulator/$(TARGET)/Makefile
diff --git a/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp b/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp
index 64fab5bd2..a67245b4b 100644
--- a/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ Event getPlatformEvent() {
     }
     event = Ion::Events::Event(c);
   }
+#if EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG
   if (sEventCount++ > sLogAfterNumberOfEvents && sLogAfterNumberOfEvents >= 0) {
     char filename[32];
     sprintf(filename, "event%d.png", sEventCount);
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ Event getPlatformEvent() {
     printf("Event %d is %s\n", sEventCount, event.name());
 #endif
   }
+#endif
   return event;
 }
 
diff --git a/ion/src/simulator/shared/framebuffer_png.cpp b/ion/src/simulator/shared/framebuffer_png.cpp
index 73ee454ee..9582e48e1 100644
--- a/ion/src/simulator/shared/framebuffer_png.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/simulator/shared/framebuffer_png.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#if EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG
+
 #include "framebuffer.h"
 #include <ion/display.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -51,3 +53,5 @@ void Ion::Simulator::Framebuffer::writeToFile(const char * filename) {
   png_destroy_write_struct(&png, (png_infopp)NULL);
   fclose(file);
 }
+
+#endif