diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 844ad154c97..caedd046d49 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -412,41 +412,43 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([cuda],
 	where CUDA is installed.  The cuda compiler can also be
 	specified by setting the NVCC environment variable. The CUDA
 	library and header can be manually specified by using
-	CPPFLAGS, LDFLAGS and LIBS. [no]]), ,
-	with_cuda=no) AC_MSG_RESULT($with_cuda)
+	CPPFLAGS, LDFLAGS and LIBS. [guess]]), ,
+	with_cuda=guess) AC_MSG_RESULT($with_cuda)
 
-if test x$with_cuda = xguess || test x$with_cuda = xyes; then
+AS_IF([test x$with_cuda = xguess || test x$with_cuda = xyes],[
    cuda_path=/usr/local/cuda
-elif test x$with_cuda != xno; then
+],[test x$with_cuda != xno],[
    cuda_path=$with_cuda
    with_cuda=yes
-fi
+])
 
 cuda_ok=no
 
-if test x$with_cuda != xno; then
+AS_IF([test x$with_cuda != xno],[
     cuda_ok=yes
+    save_LIBS=$LIBS
     
-    if test x$NVCC = x; then
+    AS_IF([test x$NVCC = x],[
         NVCC=$cuda_path/bin/nvcc
-    fi
+    ])
 
-    if test -d $cuda_path/lib64; then
+    AS_IF([test -d $cuda_path/lib64],[
         LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$cuda_path/lib64"
-    else
+    ],[
         LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$cuda_path/lib"
-    fi
+    ])
 
     NVCCFLAGS="$NVCCFLAGS -I$cuda_path/include"
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I$cuda_path/include"
 
     # NVCC
     AC_ARG_VAR(NVCC,[NVIDIA CUDA compiler command])
     AC_ARG_VAR(NVCCFLAGS,[special compiler flags for the NVIDIA CUDA compiler])
     AC_PATH_PROG(NVCC, nvcc, no)
 
-    if test x$NVCC = xno; then
+    AS_IF([test x$NVCC = xno],[
         AC_MSG_FAILURE([CUDA compiler nvcc was not found, specify location using the NVCC variable])
-    fi
+    ])
 
     # libraries
     AC_CHECK_LIB(cudart, cudaGetDevice, [LIBS="$LIBS -lcudart"], [
@@ -470,7 +472,7 @@ if test x$with_cuda != xno; then
     ])
 
     # NVCC compile check
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether CUDA works])
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether CUDA compiles])
     
     # if no other compute capability is defined by the user, we require at least 1.1
     case "$NVCCFLAGS" in
@@ -497,14 +499,35 @@ if test x$with_cuda != xno; then
             AC_MSG_WARN([cannot compile CUDA code. Some features will not be available!])
         ])
     ])
+
+    # NVCC compile check
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether CUDA runs])
+    
+    AC_RUN_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([#include <cuda.h>],[cudaGetDevice(0);])], [
+        AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+    ],[
+        cuda_ok=no
+        
+        AS_IF([test x$with_cuda = xyes],[
+            AC_MSG_FAILURE([cannot run CUDA code. Look at config.log for more details.])
+        ],[
+            AC_MSG_WARN([cannot run CUDA code. Some features will not be available!])
+        ])
+    ],[
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([unknown (cross-compiling)])
+    ])
     
     CC=$save_CC
     CFLAGS=$save_CFLAGS
     
-    AC_DEFINE(CUDA,[],[Whether CUDA is available])
-fi
+    AS_IF([test x$cuda_ok == xyes], [
+        AC_DEFINE(CUDA,[],[Whether CUDA is available])
+    ],[
+        LIBS=$save_LIBS
+    ])
+])
 
-AM_CONDITIONAL(CUDA, [test x$with_cuda != xno])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(CUDA, [test x$cuda_ok == xyes])
 
 cat <<EOF
 ****************************************************************
diff --git a/src/cuda_init.cu b/src/cuda_init.cu
index 02f9e51df34..0356fa4c97e 100644
--- a/src/cuda_init.cu
+++ b/src/cuda_init.cu
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>. 
 */
-#include <cuda.h>
+
+
 // CUDA code is always interpreted as C++, so we need the extern C interface
 extern "C" {
 
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ extern "C" {
 
 }
 
+#ifdef CUDA
+
+#include <cuda.h>
+
 /** \name minimally required compute capability. */
 /*@{*/
 static const int computeCapabilityMinMajor = 1;
@@ -97,3 +102,5 @@ int cuda_get_device()
   else
     return dev;
 }
+
+#endif /* defined(CUDA) */
diff --git a/src/cuda_init.h b/src/cuda_init.h
index afa259dfb07..175a098cb9b 100644
--- a/src/cuda_init.h
+++ b/src/cuda_init.h
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
 #ifndef CUDA_INIT_H
 #define CUDA_INIT_H
 
+#include "config.h"
+
+#ifdef CUDA
+
 /** get the number of CUDA devices.
 
     @return the number of GPUs, or -1 if CUDA could not be
@@ -63,4 +67,6 @@ int cuda_get_device();
 /** current error message of CUDA. */
 extern const char *cuda_error;
 
+#endif /* defined(CUDA) */
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lbgpu.cu b/src/lbgpu.cu
index 90a5d2b6188..86aef120782 100644
--- a/src/lbgpu.cu
+++ b/src/lbgpu.cu
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 extern "C" {
 #include "lbgpu.h"
+#include "config.h"
 }
 
 #ifdef LB_GPU
diff --git a/src/tcl/cuda_init_tcl.c b/src/tcl/cuda_init_tcl.c
index f18a4e48423..7c6235961bd 100644
--- a/src/tcl/cuda_init_tcl.c
+++ b/src/tcl/cuda_init_tcl.c
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include "parser.h"
 #include "cuda_init.h"
 
+#ifdef CUDA
+
 /** prints a list of the available GPUs to the result of the Tcl interpreter.
     Only devices with compute capability of 1.1 or higher are listed, since
     atomic operations are required for CUDA-LB. */
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ static int list_gpus(Tcl_Interp *interp)
 
   return TCL_OK;
 }
+#endif /* defined(CUDA) */
 
 /** returns 1 if and only if the GPU with the given id is usable for
     CUDA computations.  Only devices with compute capability of 1.1 or
@@ -58,6 +61,10 @@ static int list_gpus(Tcl_Interp *interp)
 int tclcommand_cuda(ClientData data, Tcl_Interp *interp,
 		    int argc, char **argv)
 {
+#ifndef CUDA
+    Tcl_AppendResult(interp, "Feature CUDA required!", (char *)NULL);
+    return TCL_ERROR;
+#else
   if (argc <= 1) {
     Tcl_AppendResult(interp, "too few arguments to the cuda command", (char *)NULL);
     return TCL_ERROR;
@@ -110,4 +117,5 @@ int tclcommand_cuda(ClientData data, Tcl_Interp *interp,
     Tcl_AppendResult(interp, "unknown subcommand \"", argv[0], "\"", (char *)NULL);
     return TCL_ERROR;
   }
+#endif /* defined(CUDA) */
 }