diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 0795df85..f5c3d405 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -158,6 +158,27 @@ check_ipt_lib_dir()
 	echo "not found!"
 }
 
+check_setns()
+{
+cat >/tmp/setnstest.c <<EOF
+#include <sched.h>
+int main(int argc, char **argv) 
+{
+	(void)setns(0,0);
+	return 0;
+}
+EOF
+gcc -I$INCLUDE -o /tmp/setnstest /tmp/setnstest.c >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]
+then
+	echo "IP_CONFIG_SETNS:=y" >>Config
+	echo "yes"
+else
+	echo "no"
+fi
+rm -f /tmp/setnstest.c /tmp/setnstest
+}
+
 echo "# Generated config based on" $INCLUDE >Config
 
 echo "TC schedulers"
@@ -173,3 +194,6 @@ check_ipt
 
 echo -n "iptables modules directory: "
 check_ipt_lib_dir
+
+echo -n "libc has setns: "
+check_setns
diff --git a/ip/Makefile b/ip/Makefile
index 2ee4e7c0..8d039934 100644
--- a/ip/Makefile
+++ b/ip/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ IPOBJ=ip.o ipaddress.o ipaddrlabel.o iproute.o iprule.o ipnetns.o \
 
 RTMONOBJ=rtmon.o
 
+include ../Config
+
+ifeq ($(IP_CONFIG_SETNS),y)
+	CFLAGS += -DHAVE_SETNS
+endif
+
 ALLOBJ=$(IPOBJ) $(RTMONOBJ)
 SCRIPTS=ifcfg rtpr routel routef
 TARGETS=ip rtmon
diff --git a/ip/ipnetns.c b/ip/ipnetns.c
index db7007cf..dff3497a 100644
--- a/ip/ipnetns.c
+++ b/ip/ipnetns.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #define MNT_DETACH	0x00000002	/* Just detach from the tree */
 #endif /* MNT_DETACH */
 
+#ifndef HAVE_SETNS
 static int setns(int fd, int nstype)
 {
 #ifdef __NR_setns
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ static int setns(int fd, int nstype)
 	return -1;
 #endif
 }
+#endif /* HAVE_SETNS */
 
 
 static int touch(const char *path, mode_t mode)