diff --git a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
index 4f9e921ff..c1746d30a 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 7.2.0
  - Added server side spellchecker (Martin Kamerbeek / Procolix)
+ - change: made Text::Aspell optional, nullifying spellchecker if not present
 
 7.1.2
  - Fixed a bug that caused workflows to fail if collaboration systems and
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Asset/RichEdit.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Asset/RichEdit.pm
index cffeaa2ab..10a2f72f9 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Asset/RichEdit.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Asset/RichEdit.pm
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use WebGUI::Asset;
 use WebGUI::Form;
 use WebGUI::Utility;
 use WebGUI::International;
-use Text::Aspell;
+eval 'use Text::Aspell';  # Optional
 
 our @ISA = qw(WebGUI::Asset);
 
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/SpellCheck.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/SpellCheck.pm
index b90083f27..d1971e1ae 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/SpellCheck.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/SpellCheck.pm
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ package WebGUI::Operation::SpellCheck;
 
 use strict;
 use Encode;
-use Text::Aspell;
+# Optional, but if unavailable, spell checking will have no effect.
+eval 'use Text::Aspell';
 use WebGUI::Utility;
 
 =head1 NAME
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ An instanciated session object.
 sub _getSpeller {
 	my ($baseDir, $userDir, $homeDir);
 	my $session = shift;
+	return undef unless Text::Aspell->can('new');
 	my $speller = Text::Aspell->new;
 
 	# Get language
diff --git a/sbin/testEnvironment.pl b/sbin/testEnvironment.pl
index 7930d8cee..ed20752c7 100644
--- a/sbin/testEnvironment.pl
+++ b/sbin/testEnvironment.pl
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ checkModule("URI::Escape","3.28");
 checkModule("POSIX");
 checkModule("List::Util");
 checkModule("Color::Calc");
-checkModule("Text::Aspell");
+checkModule("Text::Aspell",0.01,2);
 
 ###################################
 # Checking WebGUI