diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 62c056030f..71c496883c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -366,16 +366,16 @@ if test x"$with_remote" = x"yes" || test x"$with_libvirtd" = x"yes"; then
     dnl Where are the XDR functions?
     dnl If portablexdr is installed, prefer that.
     dnl Otherwise try -lrpc (Cygwin) -lxdr (some MinGW), -lnsl (Solaris)
-    dnl or none (most Unix)
+    dnl -ltirpc (glibc 2.13.90 or newer) or none (most Unix)
     AC_CHECK_LIB([portablexdr],[xdrmem_create],[],[
-        AC_SEARCH_LIBS([xdrmem_create],[rpc xdr nsl],[],
+        AC_SEARCH_LIBS([xdrmem_create],[rpc xdr nsl tirpc],[],
             [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find a XDR library])])
         ])
 
     dnl check for cygwin's variation in xdr function names
     AC_CHECK_FUNCS([xdr_u_int64_t],[],[],[#include <rpc/xdr.h>])
 
-    dnl Cygwin requires -I/usr/include/tirpc for <rpc/rpc.h>
+    dnl Cygwin/recent glibc requires -I/usr/include/tirpc for <rpc/rpc.h>
     old_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
     AC_CACHE_CHECK([where to find <rpc/rpc.h>], [lv_cv_xdr_cflags], [
       for add_CFLAGS in '' '-I/usr/include/tirpc' 'missing'; do
diff --git a/daemon/Makefile.am b/daemon/Makefile.am
index f734c890c5..2095c1c230 100644
--- a/daemon/Makefile.am
+++ b/daemon/Makefile.am
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ libvirtd_CFLAGS = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src/conf \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src/remote \
 	$(LIBXML_CFLAGS) $(GNUTLS_CFLAGS) $(SASL_CFLAGS) \
-	$(POLKIT_CFLAGS) \
+	$(XDR_CFLAGS) $(POLKIT_CFLAGS) \
 	$(WARN_CFLAGS) \
 	$(COVERAGE_CFLAGS) \
 	-DQEMUD_PID_FILE="\"$(QEMUD_PID_FILE)\"" \