diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 2cae852737..e15c43880a 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(GNUCASH_SEPARATE_BUILDDIR, test "x${srcdir}" != "x.")
 
 # These are unavailable on windows/mingw32
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(X11/Xlib.h glob.h)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_X11_XLIB_H, test "x$ac_cv_header_X11_Xlib_h" = "xyes")
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(chown gethostname getppid getuid gettimeofday gmtime_r)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(gethostid link)
 
diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am b/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am
index 47f740b0c3..ccf5e9ae19 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am
@@ -199,6 +199,10 @@ libgncmod_gnome_utils_la_LIBADD = \
   ${REGEX_LIBS} \
   ${LIBXML2_LIBS}
 
+if HAVE_X11_XLIB_H
+  libgncmod_gnome_utils_la_LIBADD += -lX11
+endif
+
 if BUILDING_FROM_SVN
 swig-gnome-utils.c: gnome-utils.i gnc-html.h \
                     ${top_srcdir}/src/base-typemaps.i