diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2f64408..94b94ce 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+# clara-viz 0.3.1 (July 12 2023)
+
+## Bug Fixes
+
+* Gracefully disable OptiX denoiser if it can't be created
+* make nvjpeg support optional
+
 # clara-viz 0.3.0 (June 22 2023)
 
 ## Features
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ed87a25..698176b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ include(ExternalProject)
 
 project(ClaraViz
     DESCRIPTION "ClaraViz"
-    VERSION 0.3.0
+    VERSION 0.3.1
     LANGUAGES CXX
 )
 
diff --git a/bin/aarch64/ClaraVizRenderServer b/bin/aarch64/ClaraVizRenderServer
index 7fd5a9c..45d6cfb 100755
Binary files a/bin/aarch64/ClaraVizRenderServer and b/bin/aarch64/ClaraVizRenderServer differ
diff --git a/bin/x86_64/ClaraVizRenderServer b/bin/x86_64/ClaraVizRenderServer
index 2d3f99c..69366de 100755
Binary files a/bin/x86_64/ClaraVizRenderServer and b/bin/x86_64/ClaraVizRenderServer differ
diff --git a/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfig.cmake b/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfig.cmake
index 49b5c27..2af2fbc 100644
--- a/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfig.cmake
+++ b/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfig.cmake
@@ -107,12 +107,12 @@ endif()
 # Import target "clara::viz::renderer" for configuration "Release"
 set_property(TARGET clara::viz::renderer APPEND PROPERTY IMPORTED_CONFIGURATIONS RELEASE)
 set_target_properties(clara::viz::renderer PROPERTIES
-  IMPORTED_LOCATION_RELEASE "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}/lib/${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0"
+  IMPORTED_LOCATION_RELEASE "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}/lib/${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1"
   IMPORTED_SONAME_RELEASE "libclara_viz_renderer.so.0"
   )
 
 list(APPEND _cmake_import_check_targets clara::viz::renderer )
-list(APPEND _cmake_import_check_files_for_clara::viz::renderer "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}/lib/${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0" )
+list(APPEND _cmake_import_check_files_for_clara::viz::renderer "${_IMPORT_PREFIX}/lib/${CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR}/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1" )
 
 # Cleanup temporary variables.
 set(_IMPORT_PREFIX)
diff --git a/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfigVersion.cmake b/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfigVersion.cmake
index 33e59b4..c4a2747 100644
--- a/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfigVersion.cmake
+++ b/cmake/clara_viz_rendererConfigVersion.cmake
@@ -9,19 +9,19 @@
 # The variable CVF_VERSION must be set before calling configure_file().
 
 
-set(PACKAGE_VERSION "0.3.0")
+set(PACKAGE_VERSION "0.3.1")
 
 if(PACKAGE_VERSION VERSION_LESS PACKAGE_FIND_VERSION)
   set(PACKAGE_VERSION_COMPATIBLE FALSE)
 else()
 
-  if("0.3.0" MATCHES "^([0-9]+)\\.")
+  if("0.3.1" MATCHES "^([0-9]+)\\.")
     set(CVF_VERSION_MAJOR "${CMAKE_MATCH_1}")
     if(NOT CVF_VERSION_MAJOR VERSION_EQUAL 0)
       string(REGEX REPLACE "^0+" "" CVF_VERSION_MAJOR "${CVF_VERSION_MAJOR}")
     endif()
   else()
-    set(CVF_VERSION_MAJOR "0.3.0")
+    set(CVF_VERSION_MAJOR "0.3.1")
   endif()
 
   if(PACKAGE_FIND_VERSION_RANGE)
@@ -52,8 +52,13 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 
+# if the installed project requested no architecture check, don't perform the check
+if("FALSE")
+  return()
+endif()
+
 # if the installed or the using project don't have CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P set, ignore it:
-if(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P STREQUAL "" OR "8" STREQUAL "")
+if("${CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P}" STREQUAL "" OR "8" STREQUAL "")
   return()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0 b/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0
index 0498d31..298bd85 120000
--- a/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0
+++ b/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0
@@ -1 +1 @@
-libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0
\ No newline at end of file
+libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0 b/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1
similarity index 90%
rename from lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0
rename to lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1
index cab0d28..5d61ec7 100644
Binary files a/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0 and b/lib/aarch64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1 differ
diff --git a/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0 b/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0
index 0498d31..298bd85 120000
--- a/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0
+++ b/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0
@@ -1 +1 @@
-libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0
\ No newline at end of file
+libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0 b/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1
similarity index 88%
rename from lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0
rename to lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1
index e05f9e5..0b8dc60 100755
Binary files a/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.0 and b/lib/x86_64/libclara_viz_renderer.so.0.3.1 differ
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 727b151..a42f589 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.12)
 
 project(ClaraVizServer
     DESCRIPTION "ClaraVizServer"
-    VERSION 0.3.0
+    VERSION 0.3.1
     LANGUAGES CXX
 )
 
diff --git a/src/claraviz/CMakeLists.txt b/src/claraviz/CMakeLists.txt
index 50fcd63..f25715e 100644
--- a/src/claraviz/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/claraviz/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -102,6 +102,23 @@ find_package(CUDAToolkit REQUIRED)
 find_package(nvsharedmemory CONFIG)
 find_package(ZLIB)
 
+# nvidia-docker is not mapping nvjpeg into the image, prefer to link statically
+find_cuda_helper_libs(nvjpeg_static)
+if(CUDA_nvjpeg_static_LIBRARY)
+    message(STATUS "Found static nvjpeg lib")
+    set(nvjpeg_LIB CUDA::nvjpeg_static)
+    set(nvjpeg_FOUND TRUE)
+else()
+    find_cuda_helper_libs(nvjpeg)
+    if(CUDA_nvjpeg_LIBRARY)
+        message(STATUS "Found shared nvjpeg lib")
+        set(nvjpeg_LIB CUDA::nvjpeg)
+        set(nvjpeg_FOUND TRUE)
+    else()
+        message(NOTICE "Could not find nvjpeg lib (neither shared nor static), JPEG encdoing support disabled")
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 enable_language(CUDA)
 
 target_code_coverage(${PROJECT_NAME})
@@ -119,8 +136,6 @@ target_sources(${PROJECT_NAME}
 
         hardware/cuda/Convert.cu
 
-        hardware/nvjpeg/NvJpegService.cpp
-
         image/JpegEncoder.cpp
 
         interface/DataInterface.cpp
@@ -151,6 +166,21 @@ if(ZLIB_FOUND)
         )
 endif()
 
+if(nvjpeg_FOUND)
+    target_sources(${PROJECT_NAME}
+        PRIVATE
+            hardware/nvjpeg/NvJpegService.cpp
+        )
+    target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME}
+        PRIVATE
+            CLARA_VIZ_WITH_NVJPEG
+        )
+    target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
+        PUBLIC
+            ${nvjpeg_LIB}
+        )
+endif()
+
 target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
     PUBLIC
         clara::viz::core
@@ -158,24 +188,6 @@ target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
         CUDA::cudart_static
     )
 
-# nvidia-docker is not mapping nvjpeg into the image, prefer to link statically
-find_cuda_helper_libs(nvjpeg_static)
-if(NOT CUDA_nvjpeg_static_LIBRARY)
-    find_cuda_helper_libs(nvjpeg)
-    if(NOT CUDA_nvjpeg_LIBRARY)
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "Could not find nvjpeg lib (neither shared nor static)")
-    endif()
-    target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
-        PUBLIC
-            CUDA::nvjpeg
-        )
-else()
-    target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME}
-        PUBLIC
-            CUDA::nvjpeg_static
-        )
-endif()
-
 if (CLARA_VIZ_WITH_GRPC)
     ######################
     # core grpc
diff --git a/src/claraviz/image/JpegEncoder.cpp b/src/claraviz/image/JpegEncoder.cpp
index 30867bc..9535787 100644
--- a/src/claraviz/image/JpegEncoder.cpp
+++ b/src/claraviz/image/JpegEncoder.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 
 #include "claraviz/hardware/cuda/Convert.h"
 #include "claraviz/hardware/cuda/CudaService.h"
+#ifdef CLARA_VIZ_WITH_NVJPEG
 #include "claraviz/hardware/nvjpeg/NvJpegService.h"
+#endif
 #include "claraviz/util/Blob.h"
 
 namespace clara::viz
@@ -63,9 +65,11 @@ class JpegEncoder::Impl
     std::unique_ptr<CudaFunctionLauncher> convert_ABGR_to_YCbCr444CCIR601_;
     std::unique_ptr<CudaMemory2D> buffer_ycbcr_;
 
+#ifdef CLARA_VIZ_WITH_NVJPEG
     UniqueNvJpegInstance instance_;    ///< encoder instance
     UniqueNvJpegEncoderState state_;   ///< encoder state
     UniqueNvJpegEncoderParams params_; ///< encoder params
+#endif
 };
 
 JpegEncoder::JpegEncoder()
@@ -99,6 +103,7 @@ void JpegEncoder::Impl::Encode(uint32_t width, uint32_t height, Format format, c
         throw InvalidArgument("memory") << "is a nullptr";
     }
 
+#ifdef CLARA_VIZ_WITH_NVJPEG
     if (!convert_ABGR_to_YCbCr444CCIR601_)
     {
         convert_ABGR_to_YCbCr444CCIR601_ = GetConvertABGRToYCbCr444CCIR601Launcher();
@@ -165,6 +170,9 @@ void JpegEncoder::Impl::Encode(uint32_t width, uint32_t height, Format format, c
     // retrieve the data
     NvJpegCheck(
         nvjpegEncodeRetrieveBitstream(instance_.get(), state_.get(), bitstream.data(), &length, CU_STREAM_PER_THREAD));
+#else // CLARA_VIZ_WITH_NVJPEG
+    Log(LogLevel::Error) << "JPEG encoding not supported, nvjpeg library not found";
+#endif // CLARA_VIZ_WITH_NVJPEG
 }
 
 } // namespace clara::viz
diff --git a/src/examples/renderer/ui/package.json b/src/examples/renderer/ui/package.json
index 0224bc6..09ee66e 100644
--- a/src/examples/renderer/ui/package.json
+++ b/src/examples/renderer/ui/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "claraviz-example",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.3.1",
   "description": "RenderServer example",
   "dependencies": {
     "@grpc/proto-loader": "^0.6.9",
diff --git a/src/examples/volumestreamrenderer/ui/package.json b/src/examples/volumestreamrenderer/ui/package.json
index 8bc54aa..721772c 100644
--- a/src/examples/volumestreamrenderer/ui/package.json
+++ b/src/examples/volumestreamrenderer/ui/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ui",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.3.1",
   "private": true,
   "dependencies": {
     "@material-ui/core": "^4.11.0",