diff --git a/ferretro_base/Cargo.toml b/ferretro_base/Cargo.toml
index 0b6c7e3..34d78a0 100644
--- a/ferretro_base/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ferretro_base/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,12 +11,23 @@ cc = "^1"
 libretro-sys = "0.1"
 libloading = "0.5"
 num_enum = "0.4"
-crossbeam-channel = { version = "0.4", optional = true }
 
-[dev-dependencies]
+# examples (both)
+structopt = { version = "0.3", optional = true }
 # example: sdl2_emulator
-sdl2 = "0.32"
-crossbeam-channel = "0.4"
-structopt = "0.3"
+sdl2 = { version = "0.32", optional = true }
+crossbeam-channel = { version = "0.4", optional = true }
 # example: ffmpeg_recorder
-ffmpeg-next = "4.3.8"
+ffmpeg-next = { version = "4.3.8", optional = true }
+
+[features]
+example_sdl2 = ["sdl2", "crossbeam-channel", "structopt"]
+example_ffmpeg = ["ffmpeg-next", "structopt"]
+
+[[example]]
+name = "sdl2_emulator"
+required-features = ["example_sdl2"]
+
+[[example]]
+name = "ffmpeg_recorder"
+required-features = ["example_ffmpeg"]
diff --git a/ferretro_components/Cargo.toml b/ferretro_components/Cargo.toml
index a848122..3013b70 100644
--- a/ferretro_components/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ferretro_components/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,3 +23,7 @@ structopt = "0.3"
 [features]
 ffmpeg_comp = ["ffmpeg-next"]
 sdl2_comp = ["sdl2", "gl", "crossbeam-channel"]
+
+[[example]]
+name = "multifunction_emulator"
+required-features = ["sdl2_comp", "ffmpeg_comp"]