diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index cc0aa33..2865eaf 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,13 +9,16 @@ readme = "README.md"
 
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
+[features]
+progress_bar = ["dep:indicatif"]
+
 [dependencies]
 serde_json = "1.0.115"
 hex = "0.4.3"
 npyz = "0.7.4"
 ndarray = "0.15.6"
 rayon = "1.10.0"
-indicatif = "0.17.8"
+indicatif = { version = "0.17.8", optional = true }
 ndarray-npy ="0.8.1"
 itertools = "0.12.1"
 thiserror = "1.0.58"
@@ -24,6 +27,7 @@ thiserror = "1.0.58"
 criterion = "0.5.1"
 ndarray-rand = "0.14.0"
 anyhow = "1.0.81"
+muscat = { path = ".", features = ["progress_bar"] }
 
 [[bench]]
 name = "cpa"
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index dc8316f..1b345fc 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 //! Convenient utility functions.
 
-use std::{io::Read, path::Path, time::Duration};
+use std::{io::Read, path::Path};
 
-use indicatif::{ProgressBar, ProgressStyle};
 use ndarray::{Array, Array1, Array2, ArrayView2};
 use ndarray_npy::{read_npy, write_npy, ReadNpyError, ReadableElement, WriteNpyError};
 use npyz::{Deserialize, NpyFile};
 
+#[cfg(feature = "progress_bar")]
+use indicatif::{ProgressBar, ProgressStyle};
+#[cfg(feature = "progress_bar")]
+use std::time::Duration;
+
 /// Reads a [`NpyFile`] as a [`Array1`]
 ///
 /// This does the same as [`NpyFile.into_vec`] but faster, as this method reserves the resulting
@@ -39,6 +43,7 @@ pub fn save_array<
 }
 
 /// Creates a [`ProgressBar`] with a predefined default style.
+#[cfg(feature = "progress_bar")]
 pub fn progress_bar(len: usize) -> ProgressBar {
     let progress_bar = ProgressBar::new(len as u64).with_style(
         ProgressStyle::with_template("{elapsed_precise} {wide_bar} {pos}/{len} ({eta})").unwrap(),