diff --git a/pdns/dnsdist-lua.cc b/pdns/dnsdist-lua.cc
index 8b4b094c1f8a..50c0b3537d72 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdist-lua.cc
+++ b/pdns/dnsdist-lua.cc
@@ -437,7 +437,14 @@ vector<std::function<void(void)>> setupLua(bool client, const std::string& confi
 			}
 
 			if(vars.count("tcpFastOpen")) {
-			  ret->tcpFastOpen=boost::get<bool>(vars["tcpFastOpen"]);
+			  bool fastOpen = boost::get<bool>(vars["tcpFastOpen"]);
+			  if (fastOpen) {
+#ifdef MSG_FASTOPEN
+			    ret->tcpFastOpen=true;
+#else
+			    warnlog("TCP Fast Open has been configured on downstream server %s but is not supported", boost::get<string>(vars["address"]));
+#endif
+			  }
 			}
 
 			if(vars.count("name")) {
diff --git a/pdns/dnsdist-tcp.cc b/pdns/dnsdist-tcp.cc
index 95e3ac204511..02fafc634ba0 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdist-tcp.cc
+++ b/pdns/dnsdist-tcp.cc
@@ -61,9 +61,13 @@ static int setupTCPDownstream(shared_ptr<DownstreamState> ds, uint16_t& downstre
         SBind(sock, ds->sourceAddr);
       }
       setNonBlocking(sock);
+#ifdef MSG_FASTOPEN
       if (!ds->tcpFastOpen) {
         SConnectWithTimeout(sock, ds->remote, ds->tcpConnectTimeout);
       }
+#else
+      SConnectWithTimeout(sock, ds->remote, ds->tcpConnectTimeout);
+#endif /* MSG_FASTOPEN */
       return sock;
     }
     catch(const std::runtime_error& e) {