diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e648ed73..16664ac2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ awesome_SOURCES += $(WIDGETS)
 awesome_LDADD = $(pangocairo_LIBS) $(xcb_LIBS) $(xcb_event_LIBS) \
 	$(xcb_randr_LIBS) $(xcb_xinerama_LIBS) $(xcb_shape_LIBS) $(xcb_aux_LIBS) \
 	$(xcb_atom_LIBS) $(xcb_keysyms_LIBS) $(xcb_icccm_LIBS) $(dbus_LIBS)\
-	$(imlib2_LIBS) $(GdkPixbuf_LIBS) $(GDK_LIBS) $(Lua_LIBS)
+	$(imlib2_LIBS) $(GdkPixbuf_LIBS) $(GDK_LIBS) $(Lua_LIBS) $(ev_LIBS)
 
 bin_PROGRAMS += awesome-client
 awesome_client_SOURCES = \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 26254c2a..07540f3e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -174,6 +174,9 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([cairo_xcb], [cairo-xcb],,
 AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, readline,
              [AC_SUBST([readline_LIBS], ["-lreadline -lncurses"])],
              [AC_MSG_FAILURE([awesome needs readline])], -lncurses)
+AC_CHECK_LIB(ev, ev_loop,
+             [AC_SUBST([ev_LIBS], ["-lev"])],
+             [AC_MSG_FAILURE([awesome needs libev])])
 
 # Checks for header files.
 AC_PATH_X