diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6f34fdc0..70340379 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -734,10 +734,10 @@ SHELL'
 ac_subst_files=''
 ac_user_opts='
 enable_option_checking
-enable_fast_install
 enable_shared
 enable_static
 with_pic
+enable_fast_install
 with_gnu_ld
 with_sysroot
 enable_libtool_lock
@@ -1369,10 +1369,10 @@ Optional Features:
   --disable-option-checking  ignore unrecognized --enable/--with options
   --disable-FEATURE       do not include FEATURE (same as --enable-FEATURE=no)
   --enable-FEATURE[=ARG]  include FEATURE [ARG=yes]
-  --enable-fast-install[=PKGS]
-                          optimize for fast installation [default=no]
   --enable-shared[=PKGS]  build shared libraries [default=yes]
   --enable-static[=PKGS]  build static libraries [default=yes]
+  --enable-fast-install[=PKGS]
+                          optimize for fast installation [default=yes]
   --disable-libtool-lock  avoid locking (might break parallel builds)
   --disable-rpath         disable hardcoded rpath (default=enabled)
 
@@ -2211,37 +2211,6 @@ GETDNS_COMPILATION_COMMENT="getdns 0.1.0 configured on $CURRENT_DATE for the Feb
 # LT_INIT
 
 
-# Check whether --enable-fast-install was given.
-if test "${enable_fast_install+set}" = set; then :
-  enableval=$enable_fast_install; p=${PACKAGE-default}
-    case $enableval in
-    yes) enable_fast_install=yes ;;
-    no) enable_fast_install=no ;;
-    *)
-      enable_fast_install=no
-      # Look at the argument we got.  We use all the common list separators.
-      lt_save_ifs="$IFS"; IFS="${IFS}$PATH_SEPARATOR,"
-      for pkg in $enableval; do
-	IFS="$lt_save_ifs"
-	if test "X$pkg" = "X$p"; then
-	  enable_fast_install=yes
-	fi
-      done
-      IFS="$lt_save_ifs"
-      ;;
-    esac
-else
-  enable_fast_install=no
-fi
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
 ac_ext=c
 ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
 ac_compile='$CC -c $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
@@ -6800,6 +6769,35 @@ test -z "$pic_mode" && pic_mode=default
 
 
 
+  # Check whether --enable-fast-install was given.
+if test "${enable_fast_install+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_fast_install; p=${PACKAGE-default}
+    case $enableval in
+    yes) enable_fast_install=yes ;;
+    no) enable_fast_install=no ;;
+    *)
+      enable_fast_install=no
+      # Look at the argument we got.  We use all the common list separators.
+      lt_save_ifs="$IFS"; IFS="${IFS}$PATH_SEPARATOR,"
+      for pkg in $enableval; do
+	IFS="$lt_save_ifs"
+	if test "X$pkg" = "X$p"; then
+	  enable_fast_install=yes
+	fi
+      done
+      IFS="$lt_save_ifs"
+      ;;
+    esac
+else
+  enable_fast_install=yes
+fi
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
 
 
 
@@ -11258,6 +11256,17 @@ _ACEOF
         CHECK_EVENT_PROG=check_getdns_event
 else
   # not found - look for event.h
+        ac_fn_c_check_type "$LINENO" "u_char" "ac_cv_type_u_char" "$ac_includes_default"
+if test "x$ac_cv_type_u_char" = xyes; then :
+
+else
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define u_char unsigned char
+_ACEOF
+
+fi
+
         for ac_header in event.h
 do :
   ac_fn_c_check_header_compile "$LINENO" "event.h" "ac_cv_header_event_h" "$ac_includes_default
@@ -11267,6 +11276,7 @@ if test "x$ac_cv_header_event_h" = xyes; then :
 #define HAVE_EVENT_H 1
 _ACEOF
  # found
+            have_libevent=1
             EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_EXT_LIBS="$ac_cv_search_event_loop"
             CHECK_EVENT_PROG=check_getdns_event
 else
@@ -12213,12 +12223,12 @@ cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 sed_quote_subst='$sed_quote_subst'
 double_quote_subst='$double_quote_subst'
 delay_variable_subst='$delay_variable_subst'
-enable_fast_install='`$ECHO "$enable_fast_install" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 macro_version='`$ECHO "$macro_version" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 macro_revision='`$ECHO "$macro_revision" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 enable_shared='`$ECHO "$enable_shared" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 enable_static='`$ECHO "$enable_static" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 pic_mode='`$ECHO "$pic_mode" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
+enable_fast_install='`$ECHO "$enable_fast_install" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 SHELL='`$ECHO "$SHELL" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 ECHO='`$ECHO "$ECHO" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
 PATH_SEPARATOR='`$ECHO "$PATH_SEPARATOR" | $SED "$delay_single_quote_subst"`'
@@ -13110,9 +13120,6 @@ available_tags=""
 
 # ### BEGIN LIBTOOL CONFIG
 
-# Whether or not to optimize for fast installation.
-fast_install=$enable_fast_install
-
 # Which release of libtool.m4 was used?
 macro_version=$macro_version
 macro_revision=$macro_revision
@@ -13126,6 +13133,9 @@ build_old_libs=$enable_static
 # What type of objects to build.
 pic_mode=$pic_mode
 
+# Whether or not to optimize for fast installation.
+fast_install=$enable_fast_install
+
 # Shell to use when invoking shell scripts.
 SHELL=$lt_SHELL
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c63e7bdc..970ea5b7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -209,8 +209,10 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS([event_loop],
         [EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_EXT_LIBS="$ac_cv_search_event_loop"]
         [CHECK_EVENT_PROG=check_getdns_event],
         # not found - look for event.h
+        [AC_CHECK_TYPE(u_char, unsigned char)]
         [AC_CHECK_HEADERS([event.h],
             # found
+            [have_libevent=1]
             [EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_EXT_LIBS="$ac_cv_search_event_loop"]
             [CHECK_EVENT_PROG=check_getdns_event],
             # not found - give up
diff --git a/src/config.h.in b/src/config.h.in
index f5db3978..c6fee80b 100644
--- a/src/config.h.in
+++ b/src/config.h.in
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@
 /* Define to `unsigned int' if <sys/types.h> does not define. */
 #undef size_t
 
+/* Define to `unsigned char' if <sys/types.h> does not define. */
+#undef u_char
+
 /* Define to the type of an unsigned integer type of width exactly 16 bits if
    such a type exists and the standard includes do not define it. */
 #undef uint16_t
diff --git a/src/example/getdns_libevent.h b/src/example/getdns_libevent.h
index 48ea402e..4c15fb0a 100644
--- a/src/example/getdns_libevent.h
+++ b/src/example/getdns_libevent.h
@@ -29,5 +29,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_EVENT2_EVENT_H
 #include <event2/event.h>
 #else
+#  ifndef u_char
+#    define u_char unsigned char
+#  endif
 #include <event.h>
 #endif
diff --git a/src/extension/libevent.c b/src/extension/libevent.c
index 133c259d..d0652f80 100644
--- a/src/extension/libevent.c
+++ b/src/extension/libevent.c
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_EVENT2_EVENT_H
 #  include <event2/event.h>
 #else
+#  ifndef u_char
+#    define u_char unsigned char
+#  endif
 #  include <event.h>
 #  define evutil_socket_t int
 #  define event_free free
diff --git a/src/test/check_getdns_libevent.h b/src/test/check_getdns_libevent.h
index cc60e04d..62748284 100644
--- a/src/test/check_getdns_libevent.h
+++ b/src/test/check_getdns_libevent.h
@@ -27,5 +27,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_EVENT2_EVENT_H
 #include <event2/event.h>
 #else
+#  ifndef u_char
+#    define u_char unsigned char
+#  endif
 #include <event.h>
 #endif