diff -ur distcc-2.18.3.old/configure.ac distcc-2.18.3/configure.ac
--- distcc-2.18.3.old/configure.ac	2008-01-01 21:08:02.000000000 +0200
+++ distcc-2.18.3/configure.ac	2008-01-01 21:09:56.000000000 +0200
@@ -387,14 +387,18 @@
     [#include <sys/socket.h>])
 
 dnl check for avahi
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(avahi, AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-avahi], [enable avahi support]), [], [enable_avahi=auto])
+ZEROCONF_DISTCC_OBJS=""
+ZEROCONF_DISTCCD_OBJS=""
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(AVAHI, [avahi-client >= 0.6.5],
-[AC_DEFINE(HAVE_AVAHI, 1, [defined if Avahi is available])
-CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $AVAHI_CFLAGS"
-LIBS="$LIBS $AVAHI_LIBS"
-ZEROCONF_DISTCC_OBJS="src/zeroconf.o src/gcc-id.o"
-ZEROCONF_DISTCCD_OBJS="src/zeroconf-reg.o src/gcc-id.o"],
-[ZEROCONF_DISTCC_OBJS=""
-ZEROCONF_DISTCCD_OBJS=""])
+[if test x"${enable_avahi}" = x"yes" || test x"${enable_avahi}" = x"auto"; then
+ AC_DEFINE(HAVE_AVAHI, 1, [defined if Avahi is available])
+ CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $AVAHI_CFLAGS"
+ LIBS="$LIBS $AVAHI_LIBS"
+ ZEROCONF_DISTCC_OBJS="src/zeroconf.o src/gcc-id.o"
+ ZEROCONF_DISTCCD_OBJS="src/zeroconf-reg.o src/gcc-id.o"
+fi],
+[test x"${enable_avahi}" = x"yes" && AC_MSG_ERROR(avahi support needs avahi-client >= 0.6.5 installed)])
 AC_SUBST(ZEROCONF_DISTCC_OBJS)
 AC_SUBST(ZEROCONF_DISTCCD_OBJS)