diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 339a53d433..a484e90c61 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ AC_MSG_NOTICE(Checking for plugin libraries)
 dnl *** a52dec ***
 translit(dnm, m, l) AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_A52DEC, true)
 GST_CHECK_FEATURE(A52DEC, [a52dec], a52dec, [
-  GST_CHECK_LIBHEADER(A52DEC, a52, a52_init, -lm, a52dec/a52.h, A52DEC_LIBS="-la52")
+  GST_CHECK_A52DEC()
 ])
 
 dnl *** aalib ***
diff --git a/m4/gst-a52.m4 b/m4/gst-a52.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..55d947a6ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/gst-a52.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+AC_DEFUN(GST_CHECK_A52DEC, 
+[dnl
+AC_ARG_WITH(a52dec-prefix,
+    AC_HELP_STRING([--with-a52dec-prefix=PFX],[Prefix where a52dec is installed (optional)]),
+    a52dec_config_prefix="$withval", a52dec_config_prefix="")
+
+if test x$a52dec_config_prefix = x ; then
+    CHECK_LIBHEADER(A52DEC, a52, a52_init, a52dec/a52.h,
+        A52DEC_LIBS="-la52 -lm", , -lm)
+else
+    CHECK_LIBHEADER(A52DEC, a52, a52_init, a52dec/a52.h, [
+            A52DEC_LIBS="-la52 -L$a52dec_config_prefix/lib -lm"
+            A52DEC_CFLAGS="-I$a52dec_config_prefix/include"
+        ], , -L$a52dec_config_prefix/lib, -I$a52dec_config_prefix/include)
+fi
+
+if test $HAVE_A52DEC = "yes"; then
+    ac_save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
+    ac_save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $A52DEC_CFLAGS"
+    LIBS="$A52DEC_LIBS $LIBS"
+    AC_TRY_RUN([
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include <a52dec/a52.h>
+
+int 
+main ()
+{
+  a52_state_t *state;
+  return 0;
+}
+        ],, HAVE_A52DEC=no, [echo $ac_n "cross compiling; assumed OK... $ac_c"])
+
+    if test HAVE_A52DEC = "no"; then
+        echo "*** Your a52dec is borked somehow. Please update to 0.7.3."
+    else
+        AC_TRY_RUN([
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include <a52dec/a52.h>
+
+int 
+main ()
+{
+  int i = sizeof (a52_state_t);
+  return 0;
+}
+            ], HAVE_A52DEC=no,, [echo $ac_n "cross compiling; assumed OK... $ac_c"])
+
+        if test HAVE_A52DEC = "no"; then
+            echo "*** Your a52dec is too old. Please update to 0.7.3."
+        fi
+    fi
+    CFLAGS="$ac_save_CFLAGS"
+    LIBS="$ac_save_LIBS"
+fi
+
+if test HAVE_A52DEC = "no"; then
+    A52DEC_CFLAGS=""
+    A52DEC_LIBS=""
+fi
+
+AC_SUBST(A52DEC_CFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(A52DEC_LIBS)
+AC_SUBST(HAVE_A52DEC)
+])