diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 846af802..d297a23b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ AC_DEFINE(HAVE_IOCTLSOCKET, 1, [if the function 'ioctlsocket' is available])
 # afterwards.
 getdns_LIBS="$LIBS"
 getdns_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
+getdns_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
 
 #-------------------- libraries needed for libcheck
 LIBS="$initial_LIBS"
@@ -579,6 +580,60 @@ AC_SUBST([CHECK_LIBS])
 AC_SUBST([CHECK_CFLAGS])
 # end libraries needed for libcheck
 
+# find libldns
+LIBS="$initial_LIBS"
+
+LDNS_LIBS=""
+LDNS_CFLAGS=""
+LDNS_LDFLAGS=""
+NOLIBLDNS=""
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(libldns, AS_HELP_STRING([--with-libldns=pathname],
+	[path to libldns (default: search /usr/local ..)]),
+	[], [withval="yes"])
+if test x_$withval = x_yes; then
+	for dir in /usr/local /opt/local /usr/pkg /usr/sfw; do
+		if test -f "$dir/include/ldns/ldns.h"; then
+			LDNS_CFLAGS="-I$dir/include"
+			LDNS_LDFLAGS="-L$dir/lib"
+			CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $LDNS_CFLAGS"
+			LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS $LDNS_LDFLAGS"
+			AC_MSG_NOTICE([Found libldns in $dir])
+			break
+		fi
+	done
+else
+	if test x_$withval != x_no; then
+		LDNS_CFLAGS="-I$withval/include"
+		LDNS_LDFLAGS="-L$withval/lib"
+		CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $LDNS_CFLAGS"
+		LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS $LDNS_LDFLAGS"
+	else
+		NOLIBLDNS="nolibldns"
+		AC_MSG_WARN([libldns not found or usable; unit tests will not be compiled and run])
+	fi
+fi
+if test x$NOLIBLDNS = x
+then
+AC_CHECK_LIB([ldns], [ldns_dname_new_frm_str], [
+LDNS_LIBS="-lldns"
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(HAVE_LIBLDNS, [1], [Have libldns])
+], [
+NOLIBLDNS="nolibldns"
+AC_MSG_WARN([libldns not found or usable; unit tests will not be compiled and run])
+])
+fi
+
+AC_SUBST([LDNS_LIBS])
+AC_SUBST([LDNS_CFLAGS])
+AC_SUBST([LDNS_LDFLAGS])
+AC_SUBST([NOLIBLDNS])
+
+LIBS="$getdns_LIBS"
+CFLAGS="$getdns_CFLAGS"
+LDFLAGS="$getdns_LDFLAGS"
+
+
 #-------------------- libevent extension
 AC_ARG_WITH([libevent],
     [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-libevent], [path to libevent (default: search /usr/local ..)])],
diff --git a/src/test/Makefile.in b/src/test/Makefile.in
index e4b09cf8..cb07b954 100644
--- a/src/test/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/test/Makefile.in
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ have_libevent = @have_libevent@
 have_libuv = @have_libuv@
 have_libev = @have_libev@
 NOLIBCHECK = @NOLIBCHECK@
+NOLIBLDNS = @NOLIBLDNS@
 
 EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_EXT_LIBS=@EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_EXT_LIBS@
 EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_LDFLAGS=@EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_LDFLAGS@
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@ LDFLAGS=-L.. @LDFLAGS@
 LDLIBS=../libgetdns.la @LIBS@
 CHECK_LIBS=@CHECK_LIBS@
 CHECK_CFLAGS=@CHECK_CFLAGS@
+LDNS_LIBS=@LDNS_LIBS@
+LDNS_CFLAGS=@LDNS_CFLAGS@
+LDNS_LDFLAGS=@LDNS_LDFLAGS@
 
 CHECK_OBJS=check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo \
 	check_getdns.lo check_getdns_transport.lo
@@ -113,16 +117,16 @@ check_getdns_common: check_getdns_common.lo
 	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ check_getdns_common.lo
 
 check_getdns: check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_selectloop.lo
-	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo  check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_selectloop.lo
+	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) $(LDNS_CFLAGS) $(LDNS_LDFLAGS) $(LDNS_LIBS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo  check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_selectloop.lo
 
 check_getdns_event: check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libevent.lo ../libgetdns_ext_event.la
-	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libevent.lo $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) ../libgetdns_ext_event.la $(EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_LDFLAGS) $(EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_EXT_LIBS)
+	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libevent.lo $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) $(LDNS_CFLAGS) $(LDNS_LDFLAGS) $(LDNS_LIBS) ../libgetdns_ext_event.la $(EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_LDFLAGS) $(EXTENSION_LIBEVENT_EXT_LIBS)
 
 check_getdns_uv: check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libuv.lo ../libgetdns_ext_uv.la
-	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libuv.lo $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) ../libgetdns_ext_uv.la $(EXTENSION_LIBUV_LDFLAGS) $(EXTENSION_LIBUV_EXT_LIBS)
+	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libuv.lo $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) $(LDNS_CFLAGS) $(LDNS_LDFLAGS) $(LDNS_LIBS) ../libgetdns_ext_uv.la $(EXTENSION_LIBUV_LDFLAGS) $(EXTENSION_LIBUV_EXT_LIBS)
 
 check_getdns_ev: check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libev.lo ../libgetdns_ext_ev.la
-	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libev.lo $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) ../libgetdns_ext_ev.la $(EXTENSION_LIBEV_LDFLAGS) $(EXTENSION_LIBEV_EXT_LIBS)
+	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ check_getdns.lo check_getdns_common.lo check_getdns_context_set_timeout.lo check_getdns_transport.lo check_getdns_libev.lo $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS) $(CHECK_CFLAGS) $(CHECK_LIBS) $(LDNS_CFLAGS) $(LDNS_LDFLAGS) $(LDNS_LIBS) ../libgetdns_ext_ev.la $(EXTENSION_LIBEV_LDFLAGS) $(EXTENSION_LIBEV_EXT_LIBS)
 
 getdns_query: getdns_query.lo
 	$(LIBTOOL) --tag=CC --mode=link $(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ getdns_query.lo $(LDFLAGS) $(LDLIBS)
@@ -143,7 +147,16 @@ nolibcheck:
 	@echo "***"
 	@false
 
-test:	$(NOLIBCHECK) all
+nolibldns:
+	@echo "***"
+	@echo "*** Cannot run unit tests, because they could not be compiled,"
+	@echo "*** because libldns was not found or usable at configure time."
+	@echo "*** To compile and run unit tests make sure libldns is available"
+	@echo "*** and usable during configuration"
+	@echo "***"
+	@false
+
+test:	$(NOLIBCHECK) $(NOLIBLDNS) all
 	(cd $(srcdir)/../.. && find . -type f -executable -and \( -name "*.[ch]" -or -name "*.html" -or -name "*.in" -or -name "*.good" -or -name "*.ac" \) | awk 'BEGIN{e=0}{print("ERROR! Executable bit found on", $$0);e=1}END{exit(e)}')
 	./$(CHECK_GETDNS)
 	if test $(have_libevent) = 1 ; then ./$(CHECK_EVENT_PROG) ; fi