diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d5d62eaa1a..923d7b8ea2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -303,6 +303,12 @@ fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_OPENVZ], [test "$with_openvz" = "yes"])
 
 if test "x$with_vbox" = "xyes"; then
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([dlopen], [dl], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Unable to find dlopen()])])
+    case $ac_cv_search_dlopen in
+      no*) DLOPEN_LIBS= ;;
+      *) DLOPEN_LIBS=$ac_cv_search_dlopen ;;
+    esac
+    AC_SUBST([DLOPEN_LIBS])
     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([WITH_VBOX], 1, [whether VirtualBox driver is enabled])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_VBOX], [test "$with_vbox" = "yes"])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 2051e5d7ca..67f8b6d548 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -463,6 +463,7 @@ libvirt_driver_vbox_la_CFLAGS = \
 if WITH_DRIVER_MODULES
 libvirt_driver_vbox_la_LDFLAGS = -module -avoid-version
 endif
+libvirt_driver_vbox_la_LIBADD = $(DLOPEN_LIBS)
 libvirt_driver_vbox_la_SOURCES = $(VBOX_DRIVER_SOURCES)
 endif