diff --git a/src/coap/coapclient.c b/src/coap/coapclient.c
index a4c8238..1f5b9e2 100755
--- a/src/coap/coapclient.c
+++ b/src/coap/coapclient.c
@@ -32,11 +32,15 @@ static osal_basetype_t m_sock = 0;
 static bool m_client_opened = false;
 static uint16_t m_transaction_id = 0;
 static osal_task_t recvt_id_task;
+
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
 #if defined(OSAL_LINUX)
 static void *recv_fn(void*);
 #else
 static void recv_fn(void*);
 #endif
+#endif
+
 int write_option( uint8_t *buf, uint16_t buf_len, coap_option_t this_option, coap_option_t *last_option,
     const uint8_t* option_buf, uint32_t option_len, uint32_t *written_len );
 void process_response(uint8_t* data, uint16_t len, struct sockaddr_in6 *from);
@@ -45,7 +49,9 @@ void coap_option_map(uint32_t val, uint8_t *map);
 int coapclient_stop()
 {
   m_client_opened = false;
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
   osal_task_cancel(recvt_id_task);
+#endif
   return close(m_sock);
 }
 
@@ -72,9 +78,11 @@ int coapclient_open(response_handler_t response_handler)
 
   m_sock = sockfd;
   m_client_opened = true;
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
   ret = osal_task_create(&recvt_id_task, NULL, 0, 0, recv_fn, NULL);
   DPRINTF("CoapClient.open - %s.\n" , (ret == OSAL_SUCCESS) ? "task created" : "task creation failed");
   assert(ret == OSAL_SUCCESS);
+#endif
   
   return 0;
 }
@@ -236,6 +244,8 @@ void coap_option_map(uint32_t val, uint8_t *map)
   else if (val <= 0xffff + 269)
     *map = 14;
 }
+
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
 #if defined(OSAL_LINUX)
 static void *recv_fn(void* arg)
 #else
@@ -270,6 +280,7 @@ static void recv_fn(void* arg)
   return NULL;
 #endif
 }
+#endif
 
 void process_response(uint8_t* data, uint16_t len, struct sockaddr_in6 *from)
 {
diff --git a/src/coap/coapserver.c b/src/coap/coapserver.c
index 7ee6a1e..399fe9a 100755
--- a/src/coap/coapserver.c
+++ b/src/coap/coapserver.c
@@ -36,16 +36,20 @@ static recv_handler_t m_recv_handler = NULL;
 void process_datagram(void *data, uint16_t len, struct sockaddr_in6 *from );
 void send_internal_response(const struct sockaddr_in6 *from, uint16_t tx_id,
                             uint8_t token_length, uint8_t *token, uint16_t status);
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
 #if defined(OSAL_LINUX)
 static void *recv_thread(void* arg);
 #else
 static void recv_thread(void* arg);
 #endif
+#endif
 
 int coapserver_stop()
 {
   m_server_opened = false;
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
   osal_task_cancel(recvt_id_task);
+#endif
   return close(m_sockfd);
 }
 
@@ -85,13 +89,16 @@ int coapserver_listen(uint16_t sport, recv_handler_t recv_handler)
 
   m_sockfd = sockfd;
   m_server_opened = true;
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
   ret = osal_task_create(&recvt_id_task, NULL, 0, 0, recv_thread, NULL);
   DPRINTF("coapserver - %s.\n" , (ret == OSAL_SUCCESS) ? "task created" : "task creation failed");
   assert(ret == OSAL_SUCCESS);
+#endif
 
   return 0;
 }
 
+#ifndef USE_EXTERNAL_RECV_TASKS
 #ifdef OSAL_LINUX
 static void *recv_thread(void* arg)
 #else
@@ -135,6 +142,7 @@ static void recv_thread(void* arg)
   return NULL;
 #endif
 }
+#endif
 
 int coapserver_response(const struct sockaddr_in6 *to,
     coap_transaction_type_t tx_type,