diff --git a/testcontainers/Cargo.toml b/testcontainers/Cargo.toml
index 0ec555a5..cc488ecd 100644
--- a/testcontainers/Cargo.toml
+++ b/testcontainers/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ log = "0.4"
 memchr = "2.7.2"
 parse-display = "0.9.0"
 pin-project-lite = "0.2.14"
-reqwest = { version = "0.12.5", features = ["rustls-tls", "rustls-tls-native-roots", "hickory-dns", "json", "charset", "http2"], default-features = false }
+reqwest = { version = "0.12.5", features = ["rustls-tls", "rustls-tls-native-roots", "hickory-dns", "json", "charset", "http2"], default-features = false, optional = true }
 serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
 serde-java-properties = { version = "0.2.0", optional = true }
 serde_json = "1"
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ url = { version = "2", features = ["serde"] }
 default = []
 blocking = []
 watchdog = ["signal-hook", "conquer-once"]
+http_wait = ["reqwest"]
 properties-config = ["serde-java-properties"]
 
 [dev-dependencies]
diff --git a/testcontainers/src/core/error.rs b/testcontainers/src/core/error.rs
index 1957b53c..70b5eade 100644
--- a/testcontainers/src/core/error.rs
+++ b/testcontainers/src/core/error.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::error::Error;
 
+use crate::core::logs::WaitLogError;
 pub use crate::core::{client::ClientError, env::ConfigurationError, ContainerPort};
-use crate::core::{logs::WaitLogError, wait::http_strategy::HttpWaitError};
 
 pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, TestcontainersError>;
 
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ pub enum WaitContainerError {
     #[error("container state is unavailable")]
     StateUnavailable,
     #[error("container is not ready: {0}")]
-    HttpWait(#[from] HttpWaitError),
+    #[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
+    #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "http_wait")))]
+    HttpWait(#[from] crate::core::wait::http_strategy::HttpWaitError),
     #[error("healthcheck is not configured for container: {0}")]
     HealthCheckNotConfigured(String),
     #[error("container is unhealthy")]
diff --git a/testcontainers/src/core/wait/mod.rs b/testcontainers/src/core/wait/mod.rs
index 77eb5c00..afb258d7 100644
--- a/testcontainers/src/core/wait/mod.rs
+++ b/testcontainers/src/core/wait/mod.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ use std::{env::var, fmt::Debug, time::Duration};
 
 pub use exit_strategy::ExitWaitStrategy;
 pub use health_strategy::HealthWaitStrategy;
+#[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
+#[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "http_wait")))]
 pub use http_strategy::HttpWaitStrategy;
 pub use log_strategy::LogWaitStrategy;
 
@@ -13,6 +15,7 @@ use crate::{
 pub(crate) mod cmd_wait;
 pub(crate) mod exit_strategy;
 pub(crate) mod health_strategy;
+#[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
 pub(crate) mod http_strategy;
 pub(crate) mod log_strategy;
 
@@ -36,6 +39,8 @@ pub enum WaitFor {
     /// Wait for the container's status to become `healthy`.
     Healthcheck(HealthWaitStrategy),
     /// Wait for a certain HTTP response.
+    #[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
+    #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "http_wait")))]
     Http(HttpWaitStrategy),
     /// Wait for the container to exit.
     Exit(ExitWaitStrategy),
@@ -66,6 +71,8 @@ impl WaitFor {
     }
 
     /// Wait for a certain HTTP response.
+    #[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
+    #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "http_wait")))]
     pub fn http(http_strategy: HttpWaitStrategy) -> WaitFor {
         WaitFor::Http(http_strategy)
     }
@@ -110,6 +117,8 @@ impl WaitFor {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
+#[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "http_wait")))]
 impl From<HttpWaitStrategy> for WaitFor {
     fn from(value: HttpWaitStrategy) -> Self {
         Self::Http(value)
@@ -130,6 +139,7 @@ impl WaitStrategy for WaitFor {
             WaitFor::Healthcheck(strategy) => {
                 strategy.wait_until_ready(client, container).await?;
             }
+            #[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
             WaitFor::Http(strategy) => {
                 strategy.wait_until_ready(client, container).await?;
             }
diff --git a/testcontainers/tests/async_runner.rs b/testcontainers/tests/async_runner.rs
index 59d8f4a3..c3bc8f86 100644
--- a/testcontainers/tests/async_runner.rs
+++ b/testcontainers/tests/async_runner.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use bollard::Docker;
-use reqwest::StatusCode;
 use testcontainers::{
     core::{
         logs::{consumer::logging_consumer::LoggingConsumer, LogFrame},
-        wait::{ExitWaitStrategy, HttpWaitStrategy, LogWaitStrategy},
-        CmdWaitFor, ExecCommand, IntoContainerPort, WaitFor,
+        wait::{ExitWaitStrategy, LogWaitStrategy},
+        CmdWaitFor, ExecCommand, WaitFor,
     },
     runners::AsyncRunner,
     GenericImage, *,
@@ -144,8 +143,12 @@ async fn async_run_exec() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn async_wait_for_http() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    use reqwest::StatusCode;
+    use testcontainers::core::{wait::HttpWaitStrategy, IntoContainerPort};
+
     let _ = pretty_env_logger::try_init();
 
     let image = GenericImage::new("simple_web_server", "latest")
diff --git a/testcontainers/tests/sync_runner.rs b/testcontainers/tests/sync_runner.rs
index 75b71d8b..025cda06 100644
--- a/testcontainers/tests/sync_runner.rs
+++ b/testcontainers/tests/sync_runner.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 #![cfg(feature = "blocking")]
 
-use reqwest::StatusCode;
 use testcontainers::{
     core::{
         logs::{consumer::logging_consumer::LoggingConsumer, LogFrame},
-        wait::{HttpWaitStrategy, LogWaitStrategy},
+        wait::LogWaitStrategy,
         CmdWaitFor, ExecCommand, Host, IntoContainerPort, WaitFor,
     },
     runners::SyncRunner,
@@ -40,9 +39,13 @@ fn sync_can_run_hello_world() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "http_wait")]
 #[test]
 fn sync_wait_for_http() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    use crate::core::wait::HttpWaitStrategy;
+
     let _ = pretty_env_logger::try_init();
+    use reqwest::StatusCode;
 
     let image = GenericImage::new("simple_web_server", "latest")
         .with_exposed_port(80.tcp())