diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 14797c4b..886249bf 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2009-05-05  Marcus Brinkmann  <marcus@g10code.de>
+
+	* configure.ac: Add infrastructure for compile time check of
+	_FILE_OFFSET_BITS.
+
 2009-04-19  Moritz  <moritz@gnu.org>
 
 	* Makefile.am (DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS): Specify --with-gpg.
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5d49c08f..f02ca8ba 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -198,6 +198,18 @@ AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(unsigned int)
 AC_SYS_LARGEFILE
 AC_TYPE_OFF_T
 
+# A simple compile time check in gpgme.h for GNU/Linux systems that
+# prevents a file offset bits mismatch between gpgme and the application.
+NEED__FILE_OFFSET_BITS=0
+case $ac_cv_sys_file_offset_bits in
+  no | unknown) ;;
+  *)
+  NEED__FILE_OFFSET_BITS=$ac_cv_sys_file_offset_bits
+  ;;
+esac
+AC_SUBST(NEED__FILE_OFFSET_BITS)
+
+
 # Checks for compiler features.
 if test "$GCC" = yes; then
     CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -Wcast-align -Wshadow -Wstrict-prototypes"
diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 1dcdb218..e2ac1439 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2009-05-05  Marcus Brinkmann  <marcus@g10code.de>
+
+	* gpgme.h.in: Add compile time check for _FILE_OFFSET_BITS.
+
 2009-04-15  Marcus Brinkmann  <marcus@g10code.de>
 
 	* posix-io.c (_gpgme_io_socket, _gpgme_io_connect): New functions.
diff --git a/src/gpgme.h.in b/src/gpgme.h.in
index 65823a66..474be73d 100644
--- a/src/gpgme.h.in
+++ b/src/gpgme.h.in
@@ -74,6 +74,17 @@ extern "C" {
    library.  */
 #define GPGME_VERSION "@PACKAGE_VERSION@"
 
+/* Check for a matching _FILE_OFFSET_BITS definition.  */
+#if @NEED__FILE_OFFSET_BITS@
+#ifndef _FILE_OFFSET_BITS
+#error GPGME was compiled with _FILE_OFFSET_BITS = @NEED__FILE_OFFSET_BITS@, please see the section "Largefile support (LFS)" in the GPGME manual.
+#else
+#if (_FILE_OFFSET_BITS) != (@NEED__FILE_OFFSET_BITS@)
+#error GPGME was compiled with a different value for _FILE_OFFSET_BITS, namely @NEED__FILE_OFFSET_BITS@, please see the section "Largefile support (LFS)" in the GPGME manual.
+#endif
+#endif
+#endif
+
 
 
 /* Some opaque data types used by GPGME.  */