diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 218b3b44c..52061560a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([mixer], true, [CHECK_MODULE_MIXER])
 AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([connman], true, [CHECK_MODULE_CONNMAN])
 AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([bluez], true, [CHECK_MODULE_BLUEZ])
 AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([ofono], true, [CHECK_MODULE_OFONO])
-AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([illume], false)
+AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([illume], true)
 AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([illume2], true)
 AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([syscon], true)
 AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([everything], true)
@@ -609,10 +609,6 @@ AC_E_OPTIONAL_MODULE([comp], true)
 
 AC_E_CHECK_PKG(ENOTIFY, [edbus >= 1.0.0 enotify >= 1.0.0], [], [])
 
-if test "x$USE_MODULE_ILLUME" = "xtrue" -a "x$USE_MODULE_ILLUME2" = "xtrue" ;then
-   AC_MSG_ERROR([illume and illume2 cannot be built together])
-fi
-
 AC_OUTPUT([
 Makefile
 enlightenment.spec
diff --git a/src/modules/illume/e_mod_main.c b/src/modules/illume/e_mod_main.c
index 40dd4d479..905cfe0c8 100644
--- a/src/modules/illume/e_mod_main.c
+++ b/src/modules/illume/e_mod_main.c
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ EAPI E_Module_Api e_modapi =
 EAPI void *
 e_modapi_init(E_Module *m) 
 {
+   /* check if illume2 is loaded and bail out if it is.
+    * Illume1 and illume2 both cannot be loaded @ the same time */
+   if (e_module_find("illume2")) return NULL;
+
    /* set up the virtual keyboard */
    e_cfg_init(m);
    e_kbd_init(m);
diff --git a/src/modules/illume2/e_mod_main.c b/src/modules/illume2/e_mod_main.c
index 8747f7027..672f00932 100644
--- a/src/modules/illume2/e_mod_main.c
+++ b/src/modules/illume2/e_mod_main.c
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ e_modapi_init(E_Module *m)
    Ecore_X_Window *zones;
    int zcount = 0;
 
+   /* check if illume is loaded and bail out if it is.
+    * Illume1 and illume2 both cannot be loaded @ the same time */
+   if (e_module_find("illume")) return NULL;
+
    /* set module priority so we load first */
    e_module_priority_set(m, 100);