--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -55,7 +55,18 @@
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([dup2 ftruncate gettimeofday select strcspn strstr]dnl
 [ strchr memcpy bzero setutent setutxent updwtmp updwtmpx _openpty revoke getsid]dnl
 [ setsid setpgrp snprintf sigaction cfmakeraw])
+AC_ARG_WITH([libtirpc],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-libtirpc],[Use libtirpc as RPC implementation (instead of sunrpc)])])
+AS_IF([test "x$with_libtirpc" = xyes], 
+  [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([TIRPC], 
+    [libtirpc], 
+    [CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $TIRPC_CFLAGS"; LIBS="$LIBS $TIRPC_LIBS";],
+    [AC_MSG_ERROR([libtirpc requested, but library not found.])]
+  )], 
+  [AC_CHECK_HEADER(rpc/rpc.h, 
+    [],
+    [AC_MSG_ERROR([sunrpc requested, but headers are not present.])]
+)])
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS([xdr_free],[nsl rpclib])
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([socket],[socket])
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([nanosleep],[posix4])