diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bd18632bbd..ad586d7b11 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -620,6 +620,14 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([poll])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([ppoll])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([pselect])
 
+dnl check for socketpair()
+AC_CHECK_FUNC(socketpair, [], [
+  AC_CHECK_LIB(socket, socketpair, [
+    SOCKET_LIBS="-lsocket"
+    AC_SUBST(SOCKET_LIBS)
+  ])
+])
+
 dnl ****************************************
 dnl *** GLib POLL* compatibility defines ***
 dnl ****************************************
diff --git a/gst/Makefile.am b/gst/Makefile.am
index a117d9771d..213e3fda59 100644
--- a/gst/Makefile.am
+++ b/gst/Makefile.am
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ libgstreamer_@GST_API_VERSION@_la_LIBADD =		\
 	$(GST_PRINTF_LA)				\
 	$(GST_ALL_LIBS)					\
 	$(WIN32_LIBS)					\
+	$(SOCKET_LIBS)					\
 	$(LIBM)
 
 libgstreamer_@GST_API_VERSION@_la_LDFLAGS =		\