diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8edeb8abc3..ef8478f731 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -332,7 +332,6 @@ AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(scaletempo)
 AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(sdp)
 AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(segmentclip)
 AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(selector)
-AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(shm)
 AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(siren)
 AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(speed)
 AG_GST_CHECK_PLUGIN(subenc)
@@ -496,6 +495,12 @@ AG_GST_CHECK_FEATURE(QUICKTIME, [QuickTime wrapper], qtwrapper, [
       [#include <Quicktime/Quicktime.h>])
 ])
 
+dnl check for shm_open (for shm plugin)
+translit(dnm, m, l) AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_SHM, true)
+AG_GST_CHECK_FEATURE(SHM, [POSIX shared memory source and sink], shm, [
+  AC_CHECK_LIB(rt, shm_open, HAVE_SHM=yes, HAVE_SHM=no)
+])
+
 dnl check for Video CD
 translit(dnm, m, l) AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_VCD, true)
 AG_GST_CHECK_FEATURE(VCD, [Video CD], vcdsrc, [
@@ -1705,7 +1710,6 @@ gst/scaletempo/Makefile
 gst/sdp/Makefile
 gst/segmentclip/Makefile
 gst/selector/Makefile
-gst/shm/Makefile
 gst/siren/Makefile
 gst/speed/Makefile
 gst/subenc/Makefile
@@ -1732,6 +1736,7 @@ sys/dvb/Makefile
 sys/fbdev/Makefile
 sys/osxvideo/Makefile
 sys/qtwrapper/Makefile
+sys/shm/Makefile
 sys/vcd/Makefile
 sys/vdpau/Makefile
 sys/wasapi/Makefile
diff --git a/sys/Makefile.am b/sys/Makefile.am
index bbfffcd112..c94df0d44b 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.am
+++ b/sys/Makefile.am
@@ -76,9 +76,15 @@ else
 VDPAU_DIR=
 endif
 
-SUBDIRS = $(ACM_DIR) $(DIRECTDRAW_DIR) $(DIRECTSOUND_DIR) $(DVB_DIR) $(FBDEV_DIR) $(OSX_VIDEO_DIR) $(QT_DIR) $(VCD_DIR) $(VDPAU_DIR) $(WININET_DIR)
+if USE_SHM
+SHM_DIR=shm
+else
+SHM_DIR=
+endif
+
+SUBDIRS = $(ACM_DIR) $(DIRECTDRAW_DIR) $(DIRECTSOUND_DIR) $(DVB_DIR) $(FBDEV_DIR) $(OSX_VIDEO_DIR) $(QT_DIR) $(SHM_DIR) $(VCD_DIR) $(VDPAU_DIR) $(WININET_DIR)
 
 DIST_SUBDIRS = acmenc acmmp3dec directdraw directsound dvb fbdev dshowdecwrapper dshowsrcwrapper dshowvideosink \
-		osxvideo qtwrapper vcd vdpau wasapi wininet winks winscreencap
+		osxvideo qtwrapper shm vcd vdpau wasapi wininet winks winscreencap
 
 include $(top_srcdir)/common/parallel-subdirs.mak
diff --git a/gst/shm/Makefile.am b/sys/shm/Makefile.am
similarity index 93%
rename from gst/shm/Makefile.am
rename to sys/shm/Makefile.am
index 31375016e2..fdc034b71c 100644
--- a/gst/shm/Makefile.am
+++ b/sys/shm/Makefile.am
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ plugin_LTLIBRARIES = libgstshm.la
 
 libgstshm_la_SOURCES = shmpipe.c shmalloc.c gstshm.c gstshmsrc.c gstshmsink.c
 libgstshm_la_CFLAGS = $(GST_CFLAGS)
-libgstshm_la_LIBADD =
+libgstshm_la_LIBADD = -lrt
 libgstshm_la_LDFLAGS = $(GST_PLUGIN_LDFLAGS) $(GST_BASE_LIBS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_LIBS)
 libgstshm_la_LIBTOOLFLAGS = --tag=disable-static
 
diff --git a/gst/shm/gstshm.c b/sys/shm/gstshm.c
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/gstshm.c
rename to sys/shm/gstshm.c
diff --git a/gst/shm/gstshmsink.c b/sys/shm/gstshmsink.c
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/gstshmsink.c
rename to sys/shm/gstshmsink.c
diff --git a/gst/shm/gstshmsink.h b/sys/shm/gstshmsink.h
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/gstshmsink.h
rename to sys/shm/gstshmsink.h
diff --git a/gst/shm/gstshmsrc.c b/sys/shm/gstshmsrc.c
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/gstshmsrc.c
rename to sys/shm/gstshmsrc.c
diff --git a/gst/shm/gstshmsrc.h b/sys/shm/gstshmsrc.h
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/gstshmsrc.h
rename to sys/shm/gstshmsrc.h
diff --git a/gst/shm/shmalloc.c b/sys/shm/shmalloc.c
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/shmalloc.c
rename to sys/shm/shmalloc.c
diff --git a/gst/shm/shmalloc.h b/sys/shm/shmalloc.h
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/shmalloc.h
rename to sys/shm/shmalloc.h
diff --git a/gst/shm/shmpipe.c b/sys/shm/shmpipe.c
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/shmpipe.c
rename to sys/shm/shmpipe.c
diff --git a/gst/shm/shmpipe.h b/sys/shm/shmpipe.h
similarity index 100%
rename from gst/shm/shmpipe.h
rename to sys/shm/shmpipe.h