diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 18dc892..033050d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -33,6 +33,19 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS([sqrt], [m], [],
 # Check for system capabilities
 AC_SYS_LARGEFILE
 
+# Check for lustre availability
+AC_ARG_WITH([lustre],
+        [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-lustre],
+                [support configurable Lustre striping values @<:@default=check@:>@])],
+        [], [with_lustre=check])
+AS_IF([test "x$with_lustre" != xno], [
+        AC_CHECK_HEADERS([lustre/lustre_user.h], [], [
+                if test "x$with_lustre" != xcheck; then
+                        AC_MSG_FAILURE([--with-lustre was given, <lustre/lustre_user.h> not found])
+                fi
+        ])
+])
+
 # POSIX IO support
 AC_ARG_WITH([posix],
         [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-posix],
diff --git a/src/aiori-POSIX.c b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
index 4726ec2..7ec7662 100644
--- a/src/aiori-POSIX.c
+++ b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@
 #include <stdio.h>                                  /* only for fprintf() */
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
-#ifdef _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING
+#ifdef HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H
 #  include <lustre/lustre_user.h>
-#endif /* _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING */
+#endif /* HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H */
 
 #ifndef   open64                                    /* necessary for TRU64 -- */
 #  define open64  open                              /* unlikely, but may pose */
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ IOR_Create_POSIX(char        * testFileName,
         fd_oflag |= O_DIRECT;
     }
 
-#ifndef _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING
+#ifndef HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H
     /* If the lustre striping parameters are not the defaults */
     if (param->lustre_stripe_count != 0
         || param->lustre_stripe_size != 0
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ IOR_Create_POSIX(char        * testFileName,
     fd_oflag |= O_CREAT | O_RDWR;
     *fd = open64(testFileName, fd_oflag, 0664);
     if (*fd < 0) ERR("cannot open file");
-#else /* _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING */
+#else /* HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H */
     /* If the lustre striping parameters are not the defaults */
     if (param->lustre_stripe_count != 0
         || param->lustre_stripe_size != 0
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ IOR_Create_POSIX(char        * testFileName,
         if (ioctl(*fd, LL_IOC_SETFLAGS, &lustre_ioctl_flags) == -1)
             ERR("cannot set ioctl");
     }
-#endif /* not _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING */
+#endif /* not HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H */
 
     return((void *)fd);
 } /* IOR_Create_POSIX() */
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ IOR_Open_POSIX(char        * testFileName,
     *fd = open64(testFileName, fd_oflag);
     if (*fd < 0) ERR("cannot open file");
 
-#ifdef _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING
+#ifdef HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H
     if (param->lustre_ignore_locks) {
         int lustre_ioctl_flags = LL_FILE_IGNORE_LOCK;
         if (verbose >= VERBOSE_1) {
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ IOR_Open_POSIX(char        * testFileName,
         if (ioctl(*fd, LL_IOC_SETFLAGS, &lustre_ioctl_flags) == -1)
             ERR("cannot set ioctl");
     }
-#endif /* _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING */
+#endif /* HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H */
 
     return((void *)fd);
 } /* IOR_Open_POSIX() */
diff --git a/src/ior.c b/src/ior.c
index 9dc8f57..1e1970a 100644
--- a/src/ior.c
+++ b/src/ior.c
@@ -1534,7 +1534,7 @@ ShowSetup(IOR_param_t * test)
             HumanReadable(test->blockSize, BASE_TWO));
     fprintf(stdout, "\taggregate filesize = %s\n",
             HumanReadable(aggFileSizeForBW, BASE_TWO));
-#ifdef _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING
+#ifdef HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H
     fprintf(stdout, "\tLustre stripe size = %s\n",
             ((test->lustre_stripe_size == 0) ? "Use default" :
             HumanReadable(test->lustre_stripe_size, BASE_TWO)));
@@ -1544,7 +1544,7 @@ ShowSetup(IOR_param_t * test)
         fprintf(stdout, "\t      stripe count = %d\n",
                 test->lustre_stripe_count);
     }
-#endif /* _MANUALLY_SET_LUSTRE_STRIPING */
+#endif /* HAVE_LUSTRE_LUSTRE_USER_H */
     if (test->deadlineForStonewalling > 0) {
         fprintf(stdout, "\tUsing stonewalling = %d second(s)\n",
                 test->deadlineForStonewalling);