diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9664a675..3f1d911e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([gmp],
     [try this for a non-standard install prefix of the GMP library])],
     [AM_CXXFLAGS="-I$with_gmp/include $AM_CXXFLAGS"]
     [AM_LDFLAGS="-L$with_gmp/lib $AM_LDFLAGS"])
+
 AC_ARG_WITH([mpfr],
     [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-mpfr=prefix],
     [try this for a non-standard install prefix of the MPFR library])],
@@ -106,6 +107,13 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([lime],
             [AM_CXXFLAGS="-I$with_lime/include $AM_CXXFLAGS"]
             [AM_LDFLAGS="-L$with_lime/lib $AM_LDFLAGS"])
 
+############### LIBUNWIND
+AC_ARG_WITH([unwind],
+            [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-unwind=prefix],
+            [try this for a non-standard install prefix of the libunwind library])],
+            [AM_CXXFLAGS="-I$with_unwind/include $AM_CXXFLAGS"]
+            [AM_LDFLAGS="-L$with_unwind/lib $AM_LDFLAGS"])
+
 ############### OpenSSL
 AC_ARG_WITH([openssl],
             [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-openssl=prefix],
@@ -373,6 +381,16 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS([limeCreateReader], [lime],
                [have_lime=true],
 	             [AC_MSG_WARN(LIME library was not found in your system.)])
 
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS([unw_backtrace], [unwind],
+               [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_UNWIND], [1], [Define to 1 if you have the `libunwind' library])]
+               [have_unwind=true],
+	             [AC_MSG_WARN(libunwind library was not found in your system.)])
+
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS([_Ux86_64_step], [unwind-x86_64],
+               [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_UNWIND_X86_64], [1], [Define to 1 if you have the `libunwind-x86_64' library])]
+               [have_unwind_x86_64=true],
+	             [AC_MSG_WARN(libunwind library was not found in your system.)])
+
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([SHA256_Init], [crypto],
                [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_CRYPTO], [1], [Define to 1 if you have the `OpenSSL' library])]
                [have_crypto=true],