diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ca2a305..915125d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ if [[ -n "$xtables_location" ]]; then
 else
 	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([libxtables], [xtables >= 1.4.3])
 fi;
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([linux/netfilter/x_tables.h], [],
+	[AC_MSG_ERROR([You need to have (/usr/include/)linux/netfilter/x_tables.h])])
 
 regular_CFLAGS="-D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE=1 -D_LARGE_FILES -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 \
 	-D_REENTRANT -Wall -Waggregate-return -Wmissing-declarations \