diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b9d4425b1b..9bccaf6cfc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ GST_PLUGINS_ALL="\
 	ffmpegcolorspace \
 	playback \
 	sine \
-	tcp \
 	typefind \
 	videotestsrc \
 	videorate \
@@ -165,6 +164,12 @@ dnl used in gst/subparse/gstsubparse.c
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([regex.h], HAVE_REGEX_H="yes", HAVE_REGEX_H="no")
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_REGEX_H, test "x$HAVE_REGEX_H" = "xyes")
 
+dnl used in gst/tcp
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/socket.h], 
+  HAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H="yes", HAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H="no")
+AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H, test "x$HAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H" = "xyes")
+
+
 dnl ffmpegcolorspace includes _stdint.h
 AX_CREATE_STDINT_H
 
diff --git a/gst/Makefile.am b/gst/Makefile.am
index ee160a84d0..0ecd8af3b8 100644
--- a/gst/Makefile.am
+++ b/gst/Makefile.am
@@ -4,5 +4,11 @@ else
 SUBPARSE =
 endif
 
-SUBDIRS = $(GST_PLUGINS_SELECTED) $(SUBPARSE)
-DIST_SUBDIRS = $(GST_PLUGINS_ALL) subparse
+if HAVE_SYS_SOCKET_H
+TCP = tcp
+else
+TCP =
+endif
+
+SUBDIRS = $(GST_PLUGINS_SELECTED) $(SUBPARSE) $(TCP)
+DIST_SUBDIRS = $(GST_PLUGINS_ALL) subparse tcp