diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ab91d0b03f..21bdb056c7 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+Wed Feb  7 07:40:21 EST 2007 Daniel Berrange <berrange@redhat.com>
+
+	* configure.in, tests/Makefile.am: Only enable the low level
+	Xen tests if XenD is actually running & accessible via the
+	UNIX socket
+
 Sun Jan 28 14:44:23 EST 2007 Daniel Berrange <berrange@redhat.com>
 
 	* sc/console.c, src/console.h, src/virsh.c: Rename the
@@ -37,7 +43,7 @@ Mon Jan 23 14:36:18 IST 2007 Mark McLoughlin <markmc@redhat.com>
 	libvirt/src/virsh.c, libvirt/src/xend_internal.c,
 	libvirt/src/xm_internal.c, libvirt/src/xml.c,
 	libvirt/python/libvir.c: use them
-	
+
 Mon Jan 23 12:28:42 IST 2007 Mark McLoughlin <markmc@redhat.com>
 
 	Issues pointed out by Karel Zak <kzak@redhat.com>
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 4afcc412af..7947ed4059 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -246,6 +246,28 @@ AC_SUBST(PYTHON_VERSION)
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INCLUDES)
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON_SITE_PACKAGES)
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether this host is running a Xen kernel])
+RUNNING_XEN=
+if test -d /proc/sys/xen
+then
+    RUNNING_XEN=yes
+else
+    RUNNING_XEN=no
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT($RUNNING_XEN)
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([If XenD UNIX socket /var/run/xend/xmlrpc.sock is accessible])
+RUNNING_XEND=
+if test -S /var/run/xend/xmlrpc.sock
+then
+    RUNNING_XEND=yes
+else
+    RUNNING_XEND=no
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT($RUNNING_XEND)
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_XEN_TESTS, [test "$RUNNING_XEN" != "no" -a "$RUNNING_XEND" != "no"])
+
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT_VERSION([0.14.1])
 AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
 if test -d po
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index b045cef3cc..e48e3fe943 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@ EXTRA_DIST = xmlrpcserver.py test_conf.sh
 noinst_PROGRAMS = xmlrpctest xml2sexprtest sexpr2xmltest virshtest conftest \
 	reconnect xmconfigtest
 
-TESTS = xml2sexprtest sexpr2xmltest virshtest test_conf.sh reconnect xmconfigtest
+TESTS = xml2sexprtest sexpr2xmltest virshtest test_conf.sh xmconfigtest
+if ENABLE_XEN_TESTS
+  TESTS += reconnect
+endif
 
 valgrind:
 	$(MAKE) check TESTS_ENVIRONMENT="valgrind --quiet --leak-check=full"