diff --git a/unix/Makefile b/unix/Makefile
index ea6590ac71..3a8604da88 100644
--- a/unix/Makefile
+++ b/unix/Makefile
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_TERMIOS),1)
 CFLAGS_MOD += -DMICROPY_PY_TERMIOS=1
 SRC_MOD += modtermios.c
 endif
+ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_SOCKET),1)
+CFLAGS_MOD += -DMICROPY_PY_SOCKET=1
+SRC_MOD += modsocket.c
+endif
 ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_FFI),1)
 LIBFFI_LDFLAGS_MOD := $(shell pkg-config --libs libffi)
 LIBFFI_CFLAGS_MOD := $(shell pkg-config --cflags libffi)
@@ -87,7 +91,6 @@ SRC_C = \
 	gccollect.c \
 	input.c \
 	file.c \
-	modsocket.c \
 	modos.c \
 	alloc.c \
 	$(SRC_MOD)
@@ -122,4 +125,9 @@ uninstall:
 # build synthetically fast interpreter for benchmarking
 fast:
 	@echo Make sure to run make -B
-	$(MAKE) COPT="-O2 -DNDEBUG -fno-crossjumping" CFLAGS_EXTRA='-DMP_CONFIGFILE="<mpconfigport_fast.h>"' BUILD=build-fast
+	$(MAKE) COPT="-O2 -DNDEBUG -fno-crossjumping" CFLAGS_EXTRA='-DMP_CONFIGFILE="<mpconfigport_fast.h>"' BUILD=build-fast PROG=micropython_fast
+
+# build a minimal interpreter
+minimal:
+	@echo Make sure to run make -B
+	$(MAKE) COPT="-Os -DNDEBUG" CFLAGS_EXTRA='-DMP_CONFIGFILE="<mpconfigport_minimal.h>"' BUILD=build-minimal PROG=micropython_minimal MICROPY_PY_TIME=0 MICROPY_PY_TERMIOS=0 MICROPY_PY_SOCKET=0 MICROPY_PY_FFI=0
diff --git a/unix/alloc.c b/unix/alloc.c
index 44a84437ec..a0676a0aef 100644
--- a/unix/alloc.c
+++ b/unix/alloc.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #include "py/mpstate.h"
 #include "py/gc.h"
 
+#if MICROPY_EMIT_NATIVE
+
 #if defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__MACH__)
 #define MAP_ANONYMOUS MAP_ANON
 #endif
@@ -82,3 +84,5 @@ void mp_unix_mark_exec(void) {
         gc_collect_root(rg->ptr, rg->len / sizeof(mp_uint_t));
     }
 }
+
+#endif // MICROPY_EMIT_NATIVE
diff --git a/unix/file.c b/unix/file.c
index 7f1b285a5d..a2706a96c5 100644
--- a/unix/file.c
+++ b/unix/file.c
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 #include "py/stream.h"
 #include "py/builtin.h"
 
+#if MICROPY_PY_IO
+
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define fsync _commit
 #endif
@@ -264,3 +266,5 @@ MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_KW(mp_builtin_open_obj, 1, mp_builtin_open);
 const mp_obj_fdfile_t mp_sys_stdin_obj  = { .base = {&mp_type_textio}, .fd = STDIN_FILENO };
 const mp_obj_fdfile_t mp_sys_stdout_obj = { .base = {&mp_type_textio}, .fd = STDOUT_FILENO };
 const mp_obj_fdfile_t mp_sys_stderr_obj = { .base = {&mp_type_textio}, .fd = STDERR_FILENO };
+
+#endif // MICROPY_PY_IO
diff --git a/unix/gccollect.c b/unix/gccollect.c
index 0c0f34cb38..4c5db6a4fd 100644
--- a/unix/gccollect.c
+++ b/unix/gccollect.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ void gc_collect(void) {
     // GC stack (and regs because we captured them)
     void **regs_ptr = (void**)(void*)&regs;
     gc_collect_root(regs_ptr, ((mp_uint_t)MP_STATE_VM(stack_top) - (mp_uint_t)&regs) / sizeof(mp_uint_t));
-    #ifndef _WIN32
+    #if MICROPY_EMIT_NATIVE
     mp_unix_mark_exec();
     #endif
     gc_collect_end();
diff --git a/unix/main.c b/unix/main.c
index 346324e7cc..286af78e6b 100644
--- a/unix/main.c
+++ b/unix/main.c
@@ -481,9 +481,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         ret = do_repl();
     }
 
+    #if MICROPY_PY_MICROPYTHON_MEM_INFO
     if (mp_verbose_flag) {
         mp_micropython_mem_info(0, NULL);
     }
+    #endif
 
     mp_deinit();
 
diff --git a/unix/mpconfigport.h b/unix/mpconfigport.h
index a1acb5f5c4..42650ebabf 100644
--- a/unix/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/unix/mpconfigport.h
@@ -114,11 +114,16 @@ extern const struct _mp_obj_module_t mp_module_ffi;
 #else
 #define MICROPY_PY_TERMIOS_DEF
 #endif
+#if MICROPY_PY_SOCKET
+#define MICROPY_PY_SOCKET_DEF { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_usocket), (mp_obj_t)&mp_module_socket },
+#else
+#define MICROPY_PY_SOCKET_DEF
+#endif
 
 #define MICROPY_PORT_BUILTIN_MODULES \
     MICROPY_PY_FFI_DEF \
     MICROPY_PY_TIME_DEF \
-    { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR_usocket), (mp_obj_t)&mp_module_socket }, \
+    MICROPY_PY_SOCKET_DEF \
     { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR__os), (mp_obj_t)&mp_module_os }, \
     MICROPY_PY_TERMIOS_DEF \
 
diff --git a/unix/mpconfigport.mk b/unix/mpconfigport.mk
index 8c081379e4..2bf86078ae 100644
--- a/unix/mpconfigport.mk
+++ b/unix/mpconfigport.mk
@@ -12,5 +12,8 @@ MICROPY_PY_TIME = 1
 # Subset of CPython termios module
 MICROPY_PY_TERMIOS = 1
 
+# Subset of CPython socket module
+MICROPY_PY_SOCKET = 1
+
 # ffi module requires libffi (libffi-dev Debian package)
 MICROPY_PY_FFI = 1
diff --git a/unix/mpconfigport_minimal.h b/unix/mpconfigport_minimal.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fe9dbd8d7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unix/mpconfigport_minimal.h
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Micro Python project, http://micropython.org/
+ *
+ * The MIT License (MIT)
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2015 Damien P. George
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+// options to control how Micro Python is built
+
+#define MICROPY_ALLOC_PATH_MAX      (PATH_MAX)
+#define MICROPY_ENABLE_GC           (1)
+#define MICROPY_ENABLE_FINALISER    (0)
+#define MICROPY_STACK_CHECK         (0)
+#define MICROPY_COMP_CONST          (0)
+#define MICROPY_MEM_STATS           (0)
+#define MICROPY_DEBUG_PRINTERS      (0)
+#define MICROPY_HELPER_REPL         (1)
+#define MICROPY_HELPER_LEXER_UNIX   (1)
+#define MICROPY_ENABLE_SOURCE_LINE  (0)
+#define MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING     (MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING_TERSE)
+#define MICROPY_WARNINGS            (0)
+#define MICROPY_FLOAT_IMPL          (MICROPY_FLOAT_IMPL_NONE)
+#define MICROPY_LONGINT_IMPL        (MICROPY_LONGINT_IMPL_NONE)
+#define MICROPY_STREAMS_NON_BLOCK   (0)
+#define MICROPY_OPT_COMPUTED_GOTO   (0)
+#define MICROPY_OPT_CACHE_MAP_LOOKUP_IN_BYTECODE (0)
+#define MICROPY_CAN_OVERRIDE_BUILTINS (0)
+#define MICROPY_CPYTHON_COMPAT      (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_BYTEARRAY (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_MEMORYVIEW (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_COMPILE (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_FROZENSET (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_SET     (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_SLICE   (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_STR_UNICODE (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_PROPERTY (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY___FILE__         (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_MICROPYTHON_MEM_INFO (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_GC               (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_GC_COLLECT_RETVAL (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_ARRAY            (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_COLLECTIONS      (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_MATH             (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_CMATH            (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_IO               (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_IO_FILEIO        (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_STRUCT           (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_SYS              (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_SYS_EXIT         (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_SYS_PLATFORM     "linux"
+#define MICROPY_PY_SYS_MAXSIZE      (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_SYS_STDFILES     (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_CMATH            (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_UCTYPES          (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_UZLIB            (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_UJSON            (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_URE              (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_UHEAPQ           (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_UHASHLIB         (0)
+#define MICROPY_PY_UBINASCII        (0)
+
+// Define to 1 to use undertested inefficient GC helper implementation
+// (if more efficient arch-specific one is not available).
+#ifndef MICROPY_GCREGS_SETJMP
+    #ifdef __mips__
+        #define MICROPY_GCREGS_SETJMP (1)
+    #else
+        #define MICROPY_GCREGS_SETJMP (0)
+    #endif
+#endif
+
+#define MICROPY_ENABLE_EMERGENCY_EXCEPTION_BUF   (0)
+
+extern const struct _mp_obj_module_t mp_module_os;
+
+#define MICROPY_PORT_BUILTIN_MODULES \
+    { MP_OBJ_NEW_QSTR(MP_QSTR__os), (mp_obj_t)&mp_module_os }, \
+
+// type definitions for the specific machine
+
+#ifdef __LP64__
+typedef long mp_int_t; // must be pointer size
+typedef unsigned long mp_uint_t; // must be pointer size
+#else
+// These are definitions for machines where sizeof(int) == sizeof(void*),
+// regardless for actual size.
+typedef int mp_int_t; // must be pointer size
+typedef unsigned int mp_uint_t; // must be pointer size
+#endif
+
+#define BYTES_PER_WORD sizeof(mp_int_t)
+
+// Cannot include <sys/types.h>, as it may lead to symbol name clashes
+#if _FILE_OFFSET_BITS == 64 && !defined(__LP64__)
+typedef long long mp_off_t;
+#else
+typedef long mp_off_t;
+#endif
+
+typedef void *machine_ptr_t; // must be of pointer size
+typedef const void *machine_const_ptr_t; // must be of pointer size
+
+#define MICROPY_PORT_ROOT_POINTERS \
+    mp_obj_t keyboard_interrupt_obj;
+
+// We need to provide a declaration/definition of alloca()
+#ifdef __FreeBSD__
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#else
+#include <alloca.h>
+#endif