diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index aafaea391e..67c00312d6 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -60,6 +60,27 @@ else
 echo "bootstrap: automake version $am_version (ok)"
 fi
 
+# aclocal 1.7 or newer
+
+acl_version=`${ACLOCAL:-aclocal} --version 2>/dev/null|sed -e 's/^[^0-9]*//;s/[a-z]* *$//;s/[- ].*//g;q'`
+if test -z "$acl_version"; then
+echo "bootstrap: aclocal not found."
+echo "           You need aclocal version 1.7 or newer installed"
+echo "           to build FreeSWITCH from SVN."
+exit 1
+fi
+IFS=_; set $acl_version; IFS=' '
+acl_version=$1
+IFS=.; set $acl_version; IFS=' '
+if test "$1" = "1" -a "$2" -lt "7"; then
+echo "bootstrap: aclocal version $acl_version found."
+echo "           You need aclocal version 1.7 or newer installed"
+echo "           to build FreeSWITCH from SVN."
+exit 1
+else
+echo "bootstrap: aclocal version $acl_version (ok)"
+fi
+
 # Sample libtool --version outputs:
 # ltmain.sh (GNU libtool) 1.3.3 (1.385.2.181 1999/07/02 15:49:11)
 # ltmain.sh (GNU libtool 1.1361 2004/01/02 23:10:52) 1.5a