diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6719580976..78d3cda268 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ dnl XXX add --pkgsrcrcdir to autoconf standard directory list somehow
 AC_SUBST(pkgsrcdir)
 AC_SUBST(pkgsrcrcdir)
 
-LIBS="$LIBS -L/usr/include/json/ -ljson"
-
 dnl ------------
 dnl Check CFLAGS
 dnl ------------
@@ -314,6 +312,12 @@ if test x"${enable_gcc_ultra_verbose}" = x"yes" ; then
   CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -Wpacked -Wpadded"
 fi
 
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS(json-c/json.h)
+AC_CHECK_LIB(json-c, json_object_get, LIBS="$LIBS -ljson-c")
+if test $ac_cv_lib_json_c_json_object_get = no; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([lib json is needed to compile])
+fi
+
 if test x"${enable_gcc_rdynamic}" != x"no" ; then
   if test x"${enable_gcc_rdynamic}" = x"yes" -o x"$COMPILER" = x"GCC"; then
     LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -rdynamic"
diff --git a/lib/json.h b/lib/json.h
index e69b10acd2..561f7cc405 100644
--- a/lib/json.h
+++ b/lib/json.h
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@
 #ifndef _QUAGGA_JSON_H
 #define _QUAGGA_JSON_H
 
+#if defined(HAVE_JSON_C_JSON_H)
+#include <json-c/json.h>
+#else
 #include <json/json.h>
+#endif
 
 extern int use_json(const int argc, const char *argv[]);
 extern void json_object_string_add(struct json_object* obj, const char *key,