diff --git a/acconfig.h b/acconfig.h
index 6f5d26d..c285268 100644
--- a/acconfig.h
+++ b/acconfig.h
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@
 
 #undef HD44780_DRV
 
+#undef HAVE_SYS_NMLN
+
+#undef HAVE__SYS_NAMELEN
+
 #undef IRMANIN_DRV
 
 #undef JOY_DRV
diff --git a/clients/lcdproc/chrono.c b/clients/lcdproc/chrono.c
index 360f874..ca1a9c9 100644
--- a/clients/lcdproc/chrono.c
+++ b/clients/lcdproc/chrono.c
@@ -32,8 +32,19 @@
 int TwentyFourHour = 1;
 int uptime_fd = 0;
 
-static char kver[SYS_NMLN];
-static char sysname[SYS_NMLN];
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_NMLN
+ static char kver[SYS_NMLN];
+ static char sysname[SYS_NMLN];
+#else
+# ifdef HAVE__SYS_NAMELEN
+  static char kver[_SYS_NAMELEN];
+  static char sysname[_SYS_NAMELEN];
+# else
+  // Last hope! May segfault!
+  static char *kver;
+  static char *sysname;
+# endif
+#endif
 
 static double get_uptime (double *up, double *idle);
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 9de552d..02cc071 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -76,6 +76,42 @@ AC_HEADER_STDC
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(fcntl.h sys/ioctl.h sys/time.h unistd.h)
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(curses.h ncurses.h)
 
+dnl Check for particular preprocessor macros
+
+dnl Checking if sys/utsname.h is present and defines SYS_NMLN or _SYS_NAMELEN
+AC_CHECK_HEADER(sys/utsname.h, 
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(if sys/utsname.h defines SYS_NMLN)
+AC_TRY_RUN([[
+	#include <sys/utsname.h>
+	int main() {
+	char kver[SYS_NMLN];
+	return 0;
+	}
+]], [ 
+dnl then
+	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_SYS_NMLN)
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(yes) ], [
+dnl else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING(if sys/utsname.h defines _SYS_NAMELEN)
+	AC_TRY_RUN([[
+		#include <sys/utsname.h>
+		int main() {
+		char kver[_SYS_NAMELEN];
+		return 0;
+		}
+	]], [ 
+	dnl then
+		AC_DEFINE(HAVE__SYS_NAMELEN)
+		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes) ], [
+	dnl else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+	AC_MSG_WARN([sys/utsname.h does not define SYS_NMLN or _SYS_NAMELEN])],[:])
+],[:])
+
+, [AC_MSG_WARN([LCDproc client requires sys/utsname.h.])])
+
 dnl Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 AC_C_CONST
 AC_C_INLINE