diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 02d2872b..05c1c482 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(
 		bitstring.h \
 		curses.h \
 		dirent.h \
+		execinfo.h \
 		fcntl.h \
 		inttypes.h \
 		libutil.h \
@@ -121,9 +122,13 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(
 # Look for library needed for flock.
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS(flock, bsd)
 
+# Look for library needed for backtrace
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(backtrace, execinfo)
+
 # Check for some functions that are replaced or omitted.
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(
 	[ \
+		backtrace \
 		dirfd \
 		flock \
 		setproctitle \
diff --git a/tmate-debug.c b/tmate-debug.c
index f1fd971f..f58efe0e 100644
--- a/tmate-debug.c
+++ b/tmate-debug.c
@@ -1,10 +1,19 @@
+#ifdef HAVE_EXECINFO_H
 #include <execinfo.h>
+#endif
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <regex.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include "tmate.h"
 
+#ifndef HAVE_BACKTRACE
+
+void tmate_print_stack_trace(void) {}
+void tmate_catch_sigsegv(void) {}
+
+#else
+
 #if DEBUG
 
 static int print_resolved_stack_frame(const char *frame)
@@ -88,3 +97,4 @@ void tmate_catch_sigsegv(void)
 {
 	signal(SIGSEGV, handle_sigsegv);
 }
+#endif