diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 744cebdf3c7e3317f3ebeb54f92169ad0757e783..cb411f3f19d51c37497b46c38916e909f16a7d7a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -861,7 +861,21 @@ dnl ** check for eventfd which is needed by the I/O manager
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/eventfd.h])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([eventfd])
 
-# checking for PAPI
+dnl ** Check for __thread support in the compiler
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for __thread support)
+AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
+  [ AC_LANG_SOURCE([[__thread int tester = 0;]]) ],
+  [
+   AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+   AC_DEFINE([CC_SUPPORTS_TLS],[0],[Define to 1 if __thread is supported])
+  ],
+  [
+   AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+   AC_DEFINE([CC_SUPPORTS_TLS],[1],[Define to 1 if __thread is supported])
+  ])
+
+
+dnl ** checking for PAPI
 AC_CHECK_LIB(papi, PAPI_library_init, HavePapiLib=YES, HavePapiLib=NO)
 AC_CHECK_HEADER([papi.h], [HavePapiHeader=YES], [HavePapiHeader=NO])
 AC_SUBST(HavePapiLib)