diff --git a/abs.yaml b/abs.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..420fde0b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/abs.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# the conda-build parameters to use for disabling --skip-existing
+build_parameters:
+  - "--suppress-variables"
+  #- "--skip-existing"
+  - "--error-overlinking"
+  - "--error-overdepending"
+
+aggregate_check: false
+
+channels:
+  - norl
+
+upload_without_merge: true
diff --git a/recipe/build_base.sh b/recipe/build_base.sh
index c0a2333cb..ab82a4890 100644
--- a/recipe/build_base.sh
+++ b/recipe/build_base.sh
@@ -254,6 +254,14 @@ _common_configure_args+=(--with-tcltk-includes="-I${PREFIX}/include")
 _common_configure_args+=("--with-tcltk-libs=-L${PREFIX}/lib -ltcl8.6 -ltk8.6")
 _common_configure_args+=(--with-platlibdir=lib)
 
+if [[ "${READLINE_MODE}" = readline ]]; then
+  _common_configure_args+=(--with-readline=readline)
+elif [[ "${READLINE_MODE}" = editline ]]; then
+  _common_configure_args+=(--with-readline=editline)
+elif [[ "${READLINE_MODE}" = none ]]; then
+  _common_configure_args+=(--without-readline)
+fi
+
 # Add more optimization flags for the static Python interpreter:
 declare -a PROFILE_TASK=()
 if [[ ${_OPTIMIZED} == yes ]]; then
@@ -457,7 +465,7 @@ pushd "${PREFIX}"/lib/python${VER}
   # Remove osx sysroot as it depends on the build machine
   sed -i.bak "s@-isysroot @@g" sysconfigfile
   # make sure $CONDA_BUILD_SYSROOT is not empty ...
-  if [[ ${HOST} =~ .*darwin.* ]] && [[ -n ${CONDA_BUILD_SYSROOT} ]]; then 
+  if [[ ${HOST} =~ .*darwin.* ]] && [[ -n ${CONDA_BUILD_SYSROOT} ]]; then
     sed -i.bak "s@$CONDA_BUILD_SYSROOT @@g" sysconfigfile
   fi
   # Remove unfilled config option
diff --git a/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml b/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml
index 769054307..c590ce542 100644
--- a/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml
+++ b/recipe/conda_build_config.yaml
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@ python:
 python_impl:
   - cpython
 libffi:  # [win]
-  - 3.4  # [win] 
+  - 3.4  # [win]
 numpy:
   - 1.21
+readline_mode:
+  - readline
+  - editline
+  - none
 MACOSX_SDK_VERSION:  # [osx and x86_64]
   - 10.14            # [osx and x86_64]
 CONDA_BUILD_SYSROOT:  # [osx and x86_64]
diff --git a/recipe/meta.yaml b/recipe/meta.yaml
index 26107ec5c..f77158809 100644
--- a/recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 {% set ver2 = '.'.join(version.split('.')[0:2]) %}
 {% set ver2nd = ''.join(version.split('.')[0:2]) %}
 {% set ver3nd = ''.join(version.split('.')[0:3]) %}
-{% set build_number = "0" %}
+{% set build_number = 1 %}
 {% set channel_targets = ('abc', 'def')  %}
 # this is just for the initial build, to break dependencies with python -> pip -> libpython-static
 {% set bootstrap = "false" %}
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
   {% set py_interp_debug = "no" %}
 {% endif %}
 
+{% set rl_string = "" %}       # [win or readline_mode == 'readline']
+{% set rl_string = "el_" %}    # [not win and readline_mode == 'editline']
+{% set rl_string = "norl_" %}  # [not win and readline_mode == 'none']
+
 package:
   name: python-split
   version: {{ version }}{{ dev }}
@@ -90,7 +94,8 @@ source:
       {% endif %}
 
 build:
-  number: {{ build_number }}
+  number: {{ build_number + 100 }}  # [win or readline_mode == 'readline']
+  number: {{ build_number }}        # [not(win or readline_mode == 'readline')]
 
 requirements:
   build:
@@ -107,7 +112,9 @@ outputs:
     script: build_base.sh  # [unix]
     script: build_base.bat  # [win]
     build:
-      number: {{ build_number }}
+      number: {{ build_number + 200 }}  # [win or readline_mode == 'readline']
+      number: {{ build_number + 100 }}  # [not win and readline_mode == 'editline']
+      number: {{ build_number }}        # [not win and readline_mode == 'none']
       activate_in_script: true
       # Windows has issues updating python if conda is using files itself.
       # Copy rather than link.
@@ -128,13 +135,13 @@ outputs:
       #   - lib/python{{ ver2 }}/lib-dynload/_hashlib.cpython-{{ ver2nd }}-x86_64-linux-gnu.so  # [linux]
       #   - lib/libpython3.dylib  # [osx]
       # match python.org compiler standard
-      skip: true  # [win and int(float(vc)) < 14]
+      skip: true  # [win and (int(float(vc)) < 14 or readline_mode != 'none')]
 {% if 'conda-forge' in channel_targets %}
       skip_compile_pyc:
         - '*.py'            # [build_platform != target_platform]
 {% endif %}
-      string: {{ dev_ }}h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}_cpython  # ["conda-forge" in (channel_targets or "")]
-      string: h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}  # ["conda-forge" not in (channel_targets or "")]
+      string: {{ dev_ }}h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ rl_string }}{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}_cpython  # ["conda-forge" in (channel_targets or "")]
+      string: h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ rl_string }}{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}  # ["conda-forge" not in (channel_targets or "")]
 {% if 'conda-forge' in channel_targets %}
       run_exports:
         noarch:
@@ -145,6 +152,7 @@ outputs:
       script_env:
         - PY_INTERP_LINKAGE_NATURE={{ linkage_nature_env }}
         - PY_INTERP_DEBUG={{ py_interp_debug }}
+        - READLINE_MODE={{ readline_mode }}
         # Putting these here means they get emitted to build_env_setup.{sh,bat} meaning we can launch IDEs
         # after sourcing or calling that script without examine the contents of conda_build.{sh,bat} for
         # important env. vars.
@@ -192,7 +200,8 @@ outputs:
         - xz
         - zlib
         - openssl
-        - readline  # [not win]
+        - readline {{ readline }} # [readline_mode == 'readline']
+        - libedit # [readline_mode == 'editline']
         - tk
         - ncurses  # [unix]
         - libffi 3.4
@@ -291,15 +300,17 @@ outputs:
     script: build_static.sh  # [unix]
     script: build_static.bat  # [win]
     build:
-      number: {{ build_number }}
+      number: {{ build_number + 100 }}  # [win or readline_mode == 'readline']
+      number: {{ build_number }}        # [not(win or readline_mode == 'readline')]
       activate_in_script: true
 {% if 'conda-forge' in channel_targets %}
       ignore_run_exports:
         - python_abi
-      string: h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}_cpython
+      string: h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ rl_string }}{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}_cpython
 {% else %}
-      string: h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}
+      string: h{{ PKG_HASH }}_{{ rl_string }}{{ PKG_BUILDNUM }}{{ linkage_nature }}{{ debug }}
 {% endif %}
+      skip: true  # [win and readline_mode != 'none']
     requirements:
       build:
         - {{ compiler('c') }}
diff --git a/recipe/run_test.py b/recipe/run_test.py
index b3140a17f..4925ca730 100644
--- a/recipe/run_test.py
+++ b/recipe/run_test.py
@@ -82,11 +82,12 @@
     import fcntl
     import grp
     import nis
-    import readline
     import resource
     import syslog
     import termios
 
+if os.environ["READLINE_MODE"] != 'none':
+    import readline
 
 if not (armv6l or armv7l or ppc64le or osx105 or arm64):
     import tkinter