diff --git a/.changes/gtk-feature.md b/.changes/gtk-feature.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8805b7ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/gtk-feature.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"tray-icon": minor
+---
+
+Make gtk an optional feature (enabled by default)
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 4ea9b972..46e31b81 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,13 +18,14 @@ include = [
 ]
 
 [features]
-default = ["libxdo"]
+default = ["libxdo", "gtk"]
 libxdo = ["muda/libxdo"]
 serde = ["muda/serde", "dep:serde"]
 common-controls-v6 = ["muda/common-controls-v6"]
+gtk = ["muda/gtk", "dep:libappindicator"]
 
 [dependencies]
-muda = { version = "0.19.1", default-features = false, features = ["gtk"] }
+muda = { version = "0.19.1", default-features = false }
 crossbeam-channel = "0.5"
 once_cell = "1"
 thiserror = "2"
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ features = [
 ]
 
 [target."cfg(any(target_os = \"linux\", target_os = \"dragonfly\", target_os = \"freebsd\", target_os = \"netbsd\", target_os = \"openbsd\"))".dependencies]
-libappindicator = "0.9"
+libappindicator = { version = "0.9", optional = true }
 dirs = "6"
 
 [target."cfg(any(target_os = \"linux\", target_os = \"dragonfly\", target_os = \"freebsd\", target_os = \"netbsd\", target_os = \"openbsd\"))".dev-dependencies]