diff --git a/m4macros/ax_gssapi.m4 b/m4macros/ax_gssapi.m4
index aae9188d97..be7de02145 100644
--- a/m4macros/ax_gssapi.m4
+++ b/m4macros/ax_gssapi.m4
@@ -23,12 +23,46 @@ else
     else
         KRB5_CONFIG="$gssapi_path"
     fi
-    if test -x "${KRB5_CONFIG}" ; then        
+    if test -x "${KRB5_CONFIG}" ; then
         GSSAPI_CFLAGS=`${KRB5_CONFIG} --cflags gssapi`
-	GSSAPI_LIBS=`${KRB5_CONFIG} --libs gssapi`
+        GSSAPI_LIBS=`${KRB5_CONFIG} --libs gssapi`
     else
         AC_MSG_ERROR([Unable to locate krb5-config.])
     fi
+
+    # Checks
+    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([gssapi/gssapi.h gssapi/gssapi_krb5.h krb5/krb5.h],,
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([Missing required gss-api or krb5 header files]))
+
+    # Verify that GSS-API with Kerberos 5 is usable.
+    CXXFLAGS_SAVED="$CXXFLAGS"
+    LIBS_SAVED="$LIBS"
+    CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS $GSSAPI_CFLAGS"
+    LIBS="$LIBS $GSSAPI_LIBS"
+    if test $enable_static_link = yes; then
+       LIBS="-static $LIBS"
+    fi
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([checking for GSS-API with Kerberos 5 libraries])
+    AC_LINK_IFELSE(
+       [AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
+           [[#include <gssapi/gssapi_krb5.h>]],
+           [[gss_ctx_id_t ctx;
+             OM_uint32 minor;
+             OM_uint32 major;
+             major = gss_delete_sec_context(&minor, &ctx, GSS_C_NO_BUFFER);]])],
+       [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
+       [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([failed to link with  GSS-API with Kerberos 5 libraries])])
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([checking for MIT implementation vs Heimdal])
+    AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
+       [AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
+           [[#include <gssapi/gssapi_krb5.h>]],
+           [[return (krb5_cccol_last_change_time(0, 0, 0));]])],
+       [AC_MSG_RESULT([Heimdal])
+        AC_MSG_WARN([Heimdal is not supported, please switch to the MIT implementation])],
+       [AC_MSG_RESULT([MIT])])
+    CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS_SAVED"
+    LIBS="$LIBS_SAVED"
 fi
 
 AC_SUBST(GSSAPI_CFLAGS)