diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c76060c71..5471aee72 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -86,6 +86,23 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS([dlopen], [dl], [], [
   AC_MSG_ERROR([unable to find the dlopen() function])
 ])
 
+
+# Check for -fstack-protector
+ssp_cc=yes
+if test "X$CC-cc" != "X"; then
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether ${CC-cc} accepts -fstack-protector])
+    ssp_old_cflags="$CFLAGS"
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fstack-protector"
+    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[]], [[alloca(100);]])], [], [ssp_cc=no])
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([$ssp_cc])
+    if test "X$ssp_cc" = "Xno"; then
+        CFLAGS="$ssp_old_cflags"
+    else
+        AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_SSP_CC], 1, [Define if SSP C support is enabled.])
+    fi
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_SSP, test "$ssp_cc" = "yes")
+
 dnl Check for recent enough DRM
 LIBDRM_VERSION=libdrm_version
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([DRM], [libdrm >= $LIBDRM_VERSION libdrm_intel])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index c26293dd8..5c52658a6 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -35,9 +35,12 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 driver_cflags = \
 	-Wall			\
 	-fvisibility=hidden	\
-	-fstack-protector	\
 	$(NULL)
 
+if USE_SSP
+driver_cflags += -fstack-protector
+endif
+
 driver_ldflags = \
 	-avoid-version		\
 	-no-undefined		\