diff --git a/epan/configure.in b/epan/configure.in
index 6a89752f3a..61d2ce21d6 100644
--- a/epan/configure.in
+++ b/epan/configure.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $Id: configure.in,v 1.51 2003/12/10 21:50:04 gerald Exp $
+# $Id: configure.in,v 1.52 2003/12/11 18:37:13 guy Exp $
 dnl
 dnl Process this file with autoconf 2.13 or later to produce a
 dnl configure script; 2.12 doesn't generate a "configure" script that
@@ -106,6 +106,28 @@ else
 	esac
 fi
 
+dnl Look in /usr/local for header files and libraries ?
+dnl XXX FIXME don't include /usr/local if it is already in the system
+dnl search path as this causes gcc 3.2 on Linux to complain about a change
+dnl of the system search order for includes
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(usr-local,
+[  --enable-usr-local      look for headers and libs in /usr/local tree.  [default=yes]],enable_usr_local=$enableval,enable_usr_local=yes)
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether to use /usr/local for headers and libraries)
+if test "x$enable_usr_local" = "xyes" ; then
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+	#
+	# Arrange that we search for header files in the source directory
+	# and in its "wiretap" subdirectory, as well as in "/usr/local/include",
+	# as various packages we use ("libpcap", "zlib", an SNMP library)
+	# may have been installed under "/usr/local/include".
+	#
+	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I/usr/local/include"
+	CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/local/include"
+else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+fi
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(profile-build,
 [  --enable-profile-build  build profile-ready binaries.  [default=no]],enable_profile_build=$enableval,enable_profile_build=no)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_PROFILE_BUILD, test x$enable_profile_build = xyes)