diff --git a/src/configure b/src/configure
index b856d7f9a..03e99a46b 100755
--- a/src/configure
+++ b/src/configure
@@ -6072,7 +6072,8 @@ if test ${enable_boehm} = "no" ; then
   enable_smallcons="no"
 else
   if test ${enable_boehm} = "auto"; then
-    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for GC_malloc in -lgc" >&5
+    if test ${enable_threads} = "no"; then
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for GC_malloc in -lgc" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for GC_malloc in -lgc... " >&6; }
 if test "${ac_cv_lib_gc_GC_malloc+set}" = set; then
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
@@ -6143,6 +6144,88 @@ else
   enable_boehm="included"
 fi
 
+    else
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for GC_register_my_thread in -lgc" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for GC_register_my_thread in -lgc... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_gc_GC_register_my_thread+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lgc  $LIBS"
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char GC_register_my_thread ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return GC_register_my_thread ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
+if { (ac_try="$ac_link"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
+$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_link") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       } && test -s conftest$ac_exeext && {
+	 test "$cross_compiling" = yes ||
+	 $as_test_x conftest$ac_exeext
+       }; then
+  ac_cv_lib_gc_GC_register_my_thread=yes
+else
+  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+	ac_cv_lib_gc_GC_register_my_thread=no
+fi
+
+rm -rf conftest.dSYM
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest_ipa8_conftest.oo \
+      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_lib_gc_GC_register_my_thread" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_gc_GC_register_my_thread" >&6; }
+if test "x$ac_cv_lib_gc_GC_register_my_thread" = x""yes; then
+  enable_boehm="system"
+else
+  enable_boehm="included"
+fi
+
+    fi
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking whether we can use the existing Boehm-Weiser library" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking whether we can use the existing Boehm-Weiser library... " >&6; }
+    if test ${enable_boehm} = "system"; then
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+    else
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+    fi
   fi
 
   if test ${enable_boehm} = "system"; then
diff --git a/src/configure.in b/src/configure.in
index 964d0b67e..e85eb7dc3 100644
--- a/src/configure.in
+++ b/src/configure.in
@@ -472,8 +472,19 @@ if test ${enable_boehm} = "no" ; then
   enable_smallcons="no"
 else
   if test ${enable_boehm} = "auto"; then
-    AC_CHECK_LIB( [gc], [GC_malloc],
-                  [enable_boehm="system"], [enable_boehm="included"])
+    if test ${enable_threads} = "no"; then
+      AC_CHECK_LIB( [gc], [GC_malloc],
+                    [enable_boehm="system"], [enable_boehm="included"] )
+    else
+      AC_CHECK_LIB( [gc], [GC_register_my_thread],
+                    [enable_boehm="system"], [enable_boehm="included"] )
+    fi
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING( [whether we can use the existing Boehm-Weiser library] )
+    if test ${enable_boehm} = "system"; then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+    else
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+    fi
   fi
 
   if test ${enable_boehm} = "system"; then