diff --git a/ext/sockets/config.m4 b/ext/sockets/config.m4
index 3fb93aec702f7..4032621ce6b5a 100644
--- a/ext/sockets/config.m4
+++ b/ext/sockets/config.m4
@@ -27,6 +27,21 @@ if test "$PHP_SOCKETS" != "no"; then
     [AC_DEFINE(MISSING_MSGHDR_MSGFLAGS, 1, [ ])]
   )
   AC_DEFINE([HAVE_SOCKETS], 1, [ ])
+  
+  dnl Check for fied ss_family in sockaddr_storage (missing in AIX until 5.3)
+  AC_CACHE_CHECK([for field ss_family in struct sockaddr_storage], ac_cv_ss_family,
+  [
+    AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <netdb.h>
+  ], [struct sockaddr_storage sa_store; sa_store.ss_family = AF_INET6;],
+     ac_cv_ss_family=yes, ac_cv_ss_family=no)
+  ])
+  
+  if test "$ac_cv_ss_family" = yes; then
+    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_SA_SS_FAMILY,1,[Whether you have sockaddr_storage.ss_family])
+  fi
 
   PHP_NEW_EXTENSION([sockets], [sockets.c multicast.c], [$ext_shared])
   PHP_INSTALL_HEADERS([ext/sockets/], [php_sockets.h])
diff --git a/ext/sockets/sockets.c b/ext/sockets/sockets.c
index 46d9f8e1b82bf..586376798f52f 100644
--- a/ext/sockets/sockets.c
+++ b/ext/sockets/sockets.c
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@
 # define IS_INVALID_SOCKET(a)	(a->bsd_socket < 0)
 # define set_errno(a) (errno = a)
 # include "php_sockets.h"
+# if defined(AIX) && !defined(HAVE_SA_SS_FAMILY)
+# define ss_family __ss_family
+# endif
 # if HAVE_IF_NAMETOINDEX
 #  include <net/if.h>
 # endif