diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 1a0df21c3..79f3c17bb 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([linux/netlink.h linux/genetlink.h], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([netlink
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/capability.h], [], AC_MSG_ERROR([please install libcap-devel.]),
 [#include <sys/capability.h>])
 
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/signalfd.h])
+
 AC_PROG_GCC_TRADITIONAL
 
 if test "x$GCC" = "xyes"; then
diff --git a/src/lxc/start.c b/src/lxc/start.c
index b7e587000..e0c381bc7 100644
--- a/src/lxc/start.c
+++ b/src/lxc/start.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
  */
 
-#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include "../config.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #undef _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <string.h>
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/un.h>
 #include <sys/poll.h>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_SIGNALFD_H 
 #include <sys/signalfd.h>
+#else
+extern int signalfd (int fd, const sigset_t *mask, int flags);
+#endif
 
 #include "error.h"
 #include "af_unix.h"