diff -upNr mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/3rdparty/Makefile.am mesos-1.8.1/3rdparty/Makefile.am
--- mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/3rdparty/Makefile.am	2019-09-25 08:06:05.908901260 +0200
+++ mesos-1.8.1/3rdparty/Makefile.am	2019-09-25 08:09:10.844387596 +0200
@@ -381,10 +381,12 @@ $(LIBSECCOMP)-build-stamp: $(LIBSECCOMP)
 ALL_LOCAL += $(LIB_LIBSECCOMP)
 endif
 
+if ENABLE_USE_NVML
 if WITH_BUNDLED_NVML
 $(NVML)/nvidia/gdk/nvml.h: $(NVML)-stamp
 ALL_LOCAL += $(NVML)-stamp
 endif
+endif
 
 if WITH_BUNDLED_PICOJSON
 # Stout depends on <picojson.h>. Install picojson.h into $PREFIX/include
diff -upNr mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/configure.ac mesos-1.8.1/configure.ac
--- mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/configure.ac	2019-09-25 08:06:05.909901274 +0200
+++ mesos-1.8.1/configure.ac	2019-09-25 09:53:08.194845648 +0200
@@ -268,6 +268,11 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([java],
                              [do not build Java bindings]),
               [], [enable_java=yes])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([use-nvml],
+              AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-use-nvml],
+                             [do not use the NVML headers]),
+              [], [enable_use_nvml=yes])
+
 # TODO(bevers): Eventually make this enabled by default.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([jemalloc-allocator],
                AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-jemalloc-allocator],
@@ -1717,30 +1722,37 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(
   [ENABLE_LINUX_ROUTING],
   [test "x$enable_network_ports_isolator" = "xyes" -o "x$enable_port_mapping_isolator" = "xyes"])
 
+AM_CONDITIONAL(
+  [ENABLE_USE_NVML],
+  [test "x$enable_use_nvml" = "xyes"])
+
+AM_COND_IF([ENABLE_USE_NVML], [AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_USE_NVML])])
 
 # If the user has asked not to include the bundled NVML headers for
 # Nvidia GPU support, check to see if the path to the NVML headers has
 # been specified.  If it has, make sure that the path is absolute. If
 # everything is in order, add this path to the CPPFLAGS.
-if test "x$without_bundled_nvml" = "xyes" || \
-   test "x$enable_bundled" != "xyes"; then
-  if test -n "`echo $with_nvml`"; then
-    if test "$with_nvml" = "${with_nvml#/}"; then
-      AC_MSG_ERROR([The path passed to --with-nvml must be absolute.])
-    fi
-     CPPFLAGS="-I${with_nvml} $CPPFLAGS"
-  fi
+if test "x$enable_use_nvml" = "xyes"; then
+ if test "x$without_bundled_nvml" = "xyes" || \
+    test "x$enable_bundled" != "xyes"; then
+   if test -n "`echo $with_nvml`"; then
+     if test "$with_nvml" = "${with_nvml#/}"; then
+       AC_MSG_ERROR([The path passed to --with-nvml must be absolute.])
+     fi
+      CPPFLAGS="-I${with_nvml} $CPPFLAGS"
+   fi
 
-  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([nvidia/gdk/nvml.h], [],
+   AC_CHECK_HEADERS([nvidia/gdk/nvml.h], [],
                    [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find the Nvidia NVML headers
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-You have requested the use of a non-bundled NVML but no suitable
-NVML headers could be found. Make sure these headers are either
-installed on the system or the path passed via --with-nvml is correct.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-  ])])
-else
-  with_bundled_nvml=yes
+ -------------------------------------------------------------------
+ You have requested the use of a non-bundled NVML but no suitable
+ NVML headers could be found. Make sure these headers are either
+ installed on the system or the path passed via --with-nvml is correct.
+ -------------------------------------------------------------------
+   ])])
+ else
+   with_bundled_nvml=yes
+ fi
 fi
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_BUNDLED_NVML],
diff -upNr mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/Makefile.am mesos-1.8.1/src/Makefile.am
--- mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/Makefile.am	2019-07-10 18:31:21.066015412 +0200
+++ mesos-1.8.1/src/Makefile.am	2019-09-25 09:27:32.364725665 +0200
@@ -239,8 +239,10 @@ LIB_LIBSECCOMP = -lseccomp
 endif
 endif
 
-if WITH_BUNDLED_NVML
-MESOS_CPPFLAGS += -I../$(NVML)
+if ENABLE_USE_NVML
+ if WITH_BUNDLED_NVML
+ MESOS_CPPFLAGS += -I../$(NVML)
+ endif
 endif
 
 if WITH_BUNDLED_PICOJSON
diff -upNr mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/containerizer.cpp mesos-1.8.1/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/containerizer.cpp
--- mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/containerizer.cpp	2019-07-10 18:31:21.106015928 +0200
+++ mesos-1.8.1/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/containerizer.cpp	2019-09-25 09:28:53.277789662 +0200
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@
 #include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/docker/volume/isolator.hpp"
 #include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/filesystem/linux.hpp"
 #include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/filesystem/shared.hpp"
-#include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvidia.hpp"
 #include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/linux/capabilities.hpp"
 #include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/linux/devices.hpp"
 #include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/namespaces/ipc.hpp"
diff -upNr mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.cpp mesos-1.8.1/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.cpp
--- mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.cpp	2019-07-10 18:31:21.110015979 +0200
+++ mesos-1.8.1/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.cpp	2019-09-25 09:31:45.561055131 +0200
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
 
 #include <glog/logging.h>
 
-#include <nvidia/gdk/nvml.h>
-
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
 
@@ -38,6 +36,14 @@
 
 #include "slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.hpp"
 
+#ifndef ENABLE_USE_NVML
+ // We provide dummy types and variables in case we do not use the NVML headers.
+using nvmlReturn_t = int;
+constexpr bool NVML_SUCCESS = true;
+constexpr size_t NVML_SYSTEM_DRIVER_VERSION_BUFFER_SIZE = 1;
+constexpr nvmlReturn_t NVML_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT{};
+#endif // ENABLE_USE_NVML
+
 using process::Once;
 
 using std::map;
@@ -153,6 +159,10 @@ Try<Nothing> initialize()
 
 bool isAvailable()
 {
+#ifndef ENABLE_USE_NVML
+  return false;
+#endif // ENABLE_USE_NVML
+
   // Unfortunately, there is no function available in `glibc` to check
   // if a dynamic library is available to open with `dlopen()`.
   // Instead, availability is determined by attempting to open a
diff -upNr mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.hpp mesos-1.8.1/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.hpp
--- mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.hpp	2019-07-10 18:31:21.110015979 +0200
+++ mesos-1.8.1/src/slave/containerizer/mesos/isolators/gpu/nvml.hpp	2019-09-25 09:30:02.536700392 +0200
@@ -17,7 +17,12 @@
 #ifndef __NVIDIA_NVML_HPP__
 #define __NVIDIA_NVML_HPP__
 
-#include <nvidia/gdk/nvml.h>
+#ifdef ENABLE_USE_NVML
+ #include <nvidia/gdk/nvml.h>
+#else
+ // We provide dummy types in case we do not use the NVML headers.
+ using nvmlDevice_t = int;
+#endif // ENABLE_USE_NVML
 
 #include <string>
 
diff -upNr mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/tests/environment.cpp mesos-1.8.1/src/tests/environment.cpp
--- mesos-1.8.1-vanilla/src/tests/environment.cpp	2019-07-10 18:31:21.134016289 +0200
+++ mesos-1.8.1/src/tests/environment.cpp	2019-09-25 09:34:03.386867517 +0200
@@ -259,7 +259,19 @@ class NvidiaGpuFilter : public TestFilte
 public:
   NvidiaGpuFilter()
   {
+#ifndef ENABLE_USE_NVML
+    nvidiaGpuError = true;
+
+    std::cerr
+      << "-------------------------------------------------------------\n"
+      << "Linking against libnvml is disabled so\n"
+      << " no Nvidia GPU tests will be run\n"
+      << "-------------------------------------------------------------"
+      << std::endl;
+#else
+
     nvidiaGpuError = os::which("nvidia-smi").isNone();
+
     if (nvidiaGpuError) {
       std::cerr
         << "-------------------------------------------------------------\n"
@@ -267,6 +279,7 @@ public:
         << "-------------------------------------------------------------"
         << std::endl;
     }
+#endif // ENABLE_USE_NVML
   }
 
   bool disable(const ::testing::TestInfo* test) const override