diff --git a/raw/embedded/haskell-template-task-embedded.cabal b/raw/embedded/haskell-template-task-embedded.cabal
index 4590edd..05bb2dc 100644
--- a/raw/embedded/haskell-template-task-embedded.cabal
+++ b/raw/embedded/haskell-template-task-embedded.cabal
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ name:           haskell-template-task-embedded
 version:        0.0.0
 build-type:     Simple
 
+flag iotasks
+  description: enables test helpers for IOTasks
+  manual: True
+  default: True
+
 library
   other-modules:
       TestHarness
@@ -19,7 +24,6 @@ library
   ghc-options: -Wall
   build-depends:
       HUnit
-    , IOTasks
     , QuickCheck
     , base
     , deepseq
@@ -27,3 +31,7 @@ library
     , random
     , syb
   default-language: Haskell2010
+  if flag(iotasks)
+    cpp-options: -DIOTASKS
+    build-depends:
+        IOTasks
diff --git a/raw/embedded/package.yaml b/raw/embedded/package.yaml
index 95009cf..2239c13 100644
--- a/raw/embedded/package.yaml
+++ b/raw/embedded/package.yaml
@@ -1,17 +1,28 @@
 name: haskell-template-task-embedded
 ghc-options:
   -Wall
+flags:
+  iotasks:
+    description: enables test helpers for IOTasks
+    manual: True
+    default: True
 dependencies:
   - base
   - deepseq
   - haskell-src-exts
   - HUnit
-  - IOTasks
   - QuickCheck
   - random
   - syb
 library:
-  source-dirs: src
+  source-dirs:
+    - src
   other-modules:
     - TestHarness
     - TestHelper
+when:
+  - condition: flag(iotasks)
+    dependencies:
+      - IOTasks
+    cpp-options: -DIOTASKS
+
diff --git a/raw/embedded/src/TestHelper.hs b/raw/embedded/src/TestHelper.hs
index 2505e42..ab1108d 100644
--- a/raw/embedded/src/TestHelper.hs
+++ b/raw/embedded/src/TestHelper.hs
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
 module TestHelper (
-  isDefined, isDeeplyDefined, mustFail,
-  qcWithTimeout, qcWithTimeoutAndArgs, qcWithTimeoutAndRuns
-  , qc, qc', qcWithArgs --DEPRECATED
-  , tcWithTimeout, tcWithTimeoutAndArgs, tcCustomizedWithTimeoutAndArgs, tcWithInputsOnFailure
+  isDefined,
+  isDeeplyDefined,
+  mustFail,
+  qcWithTimeout,
+  qcWithTimeoutAndArgs,
+  qcWithTimeoutAndRuns,
+  qc,
+  qc',
+  qcWithArgs, --DEPRECATED
+#ifdef IOTASKS
+  tcWithTimeout,
+  tcWithTimeoutAndArgs,
+  tcCustomizedWithTimeoutAndArgs,
+  tcWithInputsOnFailure,
+#endif
   ) where
 import Prelude (
-  Bool (..), Either (Left, Right), Int, IO, String, Maybe (Nothing, Just),
-  const, error, return, seq, ($), (++), show, (.), id)
+  Bool (..), Either (Left, Right), Int, IO, String,
+  const, error, return, seq, ($), (++))
 
 import Control.Exception
   (ErrorCall, SomeException, catch, evaluate, try)
@@ -19,6 +31,7 @@ import Test.QuickCheck
 import Test.QuickCheck.Monadic          (monadicIO, run)
 import Control.DeepSeq                  (NFData, deepseq)
 
+#ifdef IOTASKS
 import Test.IOTasks (
   IOrep,
   Specification,
@@ -33,7 +46,9 @@ import qualified Test.IOTasks as IOTasks (
   Outcome (..),
   stdArgs,
   )
+import Prelude                          (Maybe(..), (.), id, show)
 import qualified System.Timeout as System (timeout)
+#endif
 
 qcWithArgs :: Testable prop => Int -> Args -> prop -> Assertion
 qcWithArgs = qcWithTimeoutAndArgs
@@ -82,6 +97,7 @@ isDefined x = catch
   (seq x $ return True)
   ((const $ return False) :: ErrorCall -> IO Bool)
 
+#ifdef IOTASKS
 -- helper for new IOTasks implementation
 tcWithTimeout :: Int -> IOrep () -> Specification -> Assertion
 tcWithTimeout to = tcWithTimeoutAndArgs to IOTasks.stdArgs
@@ -109,3 +125,4 @@ tcTimeoutAndArgsHandleFailure to args prog spec withFailure = do
     Just (IOTasks.Outcome IOTasks.GaveUp _) -> assertFailure "Gave up on testing. This is usually not caused by a fault within your solution. Please contact your lecturers"
     Just o@(IOTasks.Outcome IOTasks.Failure{} _) -> assertFailure $ withFailure o
     Nothing -> assertFailure "Failure: Timeout"
+#endif
diff --git a/raw/haskell-template-task-raw.cabal b/raw/haskell-template-task-raw.cabal
index 52f45e6..953302b 100644
--- a/raw/haskell-template-task-raw.cabal
+++ b/raw/haskell-template-task-raw.cabal
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ name:           haskell-template-task-raw
 version:        0.0.0.1
 build-type:     Simple
 
+flag iotasks
+  description: enables test helpers for IOTasks
+  manual: True
+  default: True
+
 library
   exposed-modules:
       Haskell.Template.FileContents
@@ -18,7 +23,10 @@ library
   ghc-options: -Wall
   build-depends:
       base >=4.7 && <5
+    , cpphs
     , filepath
     , template-haskell
     , th-utilities
   default-language: Haskell2010
+  if flag(iotasks)
+    cpp-options: -DIOTASKS
diff --git a/raw/package.yaml b/raw/package.yaml
index b0ef3a9..a3a2c82 100644
--- a/raw/package.yaml
+++ b/raw/package.yaml
@@ -2,11 +2,20 @@ name:                haskell-template-task-raw
 version:             0.0.0.1
 ghc-options:
  - -Wall
+flags:
+  iotasks:
+    description: enables test helpers for IOTasks
+    manual: True
+    default: True
 dependencies:
  - base >= 4.7 && < 5
  - filepath
+ - cpphs
  - template-haskell
  - th-utilities
+when:
+  - condition: flag(iotasks)
+    cpp-options: -DIOTASKS
 
 library:
   source-dirs: src
diff --git a/raw/src/Haskell/Template/FileContents.hs b/raw/src/Haskell/Template/FileContents.hs
index e204fd0..dd7e1dc 100644
--- a/raw/src/Haskell/Template/FileContents.hs
+++ b/raw/src/Haskell/Template/FileContents.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
 {-# OPTIONS -fforce-recomp #-}
 module Haskell.Template.FileContents (
@@ -5,6 +6,13 @@ module Haskell.Template.FileContents (
   testHelperContents,
   ) where
 
+import Language.Preprocessor.Cpphs (
+  BoolOptions(..),
+  CpphsOptions(..),
+  defaultBoolOptions,
+  defaultCpphsOptions,
+  runCpphs
+  )
 import Language.Haskell.TH              (runIO, stringE)
 import System.FilePath                  ((</>))
 import TH.RelativePaths                 (pathRelativeToCabalPackage)
@@ -13,7 +21,17 @@ testHelperContents :: String
 testHelperContents  =
   $(do file     <- pathRelativeToCabalPackage
          $ "embedded" </> "src" </> "TestHelper.hs"
-       contents <- runIO $ readFile file
+       contents <- runIO $ readFile file >>= runCpphs defaultCpphsOptions {
+         defines = [
+#ifdef IOTASKS
+             ("IOTASKS", "")
+#else
+
+#endif
+           ],
+         boolopts = defaultBoolOptions {locations = False}
+         }
+         ""
        stringE contents)
 
 testHarnessContents :: String