diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a87ca06854..c6287f656a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ LIBVIRT_ARG_FIREWALLD
 LIBVIRT_ARG_FUSE
 LIBVIRT_ARG_GLUSTER
 LIBVIRT_ARG_HAL
+LIBVIRT_ARG_JANSSON
 LIBVIRT_ARG_LIBPCAP
 LIBVIRT_ARG_LIBSSH
 LIBVIRT_ARG_LIBXML
@@ -290,6 +291,7 @@ LIBVIRT_CHECK_FUSE
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_GLUSTER
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_GNUTLS
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_HAL
+LIBVIRT_CHECK_JANSSON
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_LIBNL
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_LIBPARTED
 LIBVIRT_CHECK_LIBPCAP
@@ -970,6 +972,7 @@ LIBVIRT_RESULT_FUSE
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_GLUSTER
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_GNUTLS
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_HAL
+LIBVIRT_RESULT_JANSSON
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIBNL
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIBPCAP
 LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIBSSH
diff --git a/m4/virt-jansson.m4 b/m4/virt-jansson.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..206d6a5ced
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/virt-jansson.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+dnl The jansson library
+dnl
+dnl This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+dnl modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+dnl License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+dnl version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+dnl
+dnl This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+dnl but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+dnl MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+dnl Lesser General Public License for more details.
+dnl
+dnl You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+dnl License along with this library.  If not, see
+dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+dnl
+
+AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_ARG_JANSSON],[
+  LIBVIRT_ARG_WITH_FEATURE([JANSSON], [jansson], [check])
+])
+
+AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_CHECK_JANSSON],[
+  dnl Jansson http://www.digip.org/jansson/
+  LIBVIRT_CHECK_PKG([JANSSON], [jansson], [2.5])
+])
+
+AC_DEFUN([LIBVIRT_RESULT_JANSSON],[
+  LIBVIRT_RESULT_LIB([JANSSON])
+])