diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 61292e9dc2..c86d5439bb 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3,13 +3,28 @@ SUBDIRS = . src build
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign subdir-objects
 NAME = freeswitch
 
+if SYSTEM_APR
+AM_LIBAPR_CFLAGS := $(shell apr-1-config --cflags)
+AM_LIBAPR_CPPFLAGS := $(shell apr-1-config --cppflags --includes)
+AM_LIBAPR_LDFLAGS := $(shell apr-1-config --ldflags)
+AM_LIBAPR_LIBS := $(shell apr-1-config \--libs)
+AM_LIBAPR_LINKLIBTOOL := $(shell apr-1-config \--link-libtool)
+else
 AM_LIBAPR_CFLAGS := $(shell ./libs/apr/apr-1-config --cflags)
 AM_LIBAPR_CPPFLAGS := $(shell ./libs/apr/apr-1-config --cppflags --includes)
 AM_LIBAPR_LDFLAGS := $(shell ./libs/apr/apr-1-config --ldflags)
 AM_LIBAPR_LIBS := $(subst $(switch_builddir)/,,$(shell ./libs/apr/apr-1-config \--libs))
+endif
+if SYSTEM_APRUTIL
+AM_LIBAPU_CPPFLAGS := $(shell apu-1-config --includes)
+AM_LIBAPU_LDFLAGS := $(shell apu-1-config --ldflags)
+AM_LIBAPU_LIBS := $(shell apu-1-config \--libs)
+AM_LIBAPU_LINKLIBTOOL := $(shell apu-1-config \--link-libtool)
+else
 AM_LIBAPU_CPPFLAGS := $(shell ./libs/apr-util/apu-1-config --includes)
 AM_LIBAPU_LDFLAGS := $(shell ./libs/apr-util/apu-1-config --ldflags)
 AM_LIBAPU_LIBS := $(subst $(switch_builddir)/,,$(shell ./libs/apr-util/apu-1-config \--libs))
+endif
 
 AM_CFLAGS   = $(SWITCH_AM_CFLAGS) $(SWITCH_ANSI_CFLAGS) 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = $(SWITCH_AM_CXXFLAGS) -I$(switch_srcdir)/libs/sofia-sip/libsofia-sip-ua/sdp -I$(switch_srcdir)/libs/sofia-sip/libsofia-sip-ua/su -I$(switch_builddir)/libs/sofia-sip/libsofia-sip-ua/su
@@ -89,7 +104,17 @@ CORE_CFLAGS += -I$(switch_builddir)/libs/spandsp/src -I$(switch_srcdir)/libs/spa
 CORE_CFLAGS += -I$(switch_builddir)/libs/tiff-4.0.2/libtiff -I$(switch_srcdir)/libs/tiff-4.0.2/libtiff
 
 APR_LIBS   = $(AM_LIBAPU_LIBS) $(AM_LIBAPR_LIBS)
-CORE_LIBS  = libs/apr-util/libaprutil-1.la libs/apr/libapr-1.la
+CORE_LIBS=
+if SYSTEM_APR
+CORE_LIBS += $(AM_LIBAPR_LINKLIBTOOL)
+else
+CORE_LIBS += libs/apr/libapr-1.la
+endif
+if SYSTEM_APRUTIL
+CORE_LIBS += $(AM_LIBAPU_LINKLIBTOOL)
+else
+CORE_LIBS +=  libs/apr-util/libaprutil-1.la
+endif
 
 if ENABLE_SRTP
 CORE_CFLAGS += -DENABLE_SRTP
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0d0e4d5c00..1f8241b3dc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -656,6 +656,11 @@ if test "x$have_libz" = "xyes"  ; then
 APR_ADDTO([PLATFORM_CORE_LIBS], [-lz])
 fi
 
+AC_CHECK_LIB(apr-1, apr_pool_mutex_set, use_system_apr=yes, use_system_apr=no)
+AM_CONDITIONAL([SYSTEM_APR],[test "${use_system_apr}" = "yes"])
+AC_CHECK_LIB(aprutil-1, apr_queue_pop_timeout, use_system_aprutil=yes, use_system_aprutil=no)
+AM_CONDITIONAL([SYSTEM_APRUTIL],[test "${use_system_aprutil}" = "yes"])
+
 AC_CHECK_LIB(jpeg, jpeg_std_error,, AC_MSG_ERROR([no usable libjpeg; please install libjpeg devel package or equivalent]))
 
 AC_CHECK_LIB(jbig, jbg_enc_out, have_libjbig=yes, have_libjbig=no)
@@ -1525,8 +1530,12 @@ ac_configure_args="$ac_configure_args CONFIGURE_CFLAGS='$CFLAGS' CONFIGURE_CXXFL
 
 # Run configure in all the subdirs
 AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/srtp])
-AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/apr])
-AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/apr-util])
+if test "$use_system_apr" != "yes"; then
+   AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/apr])
+fi
+if test "$use_system_aprutil" != "yes"; then
+   AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/apr-util])
+fi
 AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/ilbc])
 AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/iksemel])
 AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([libs/js/nsprpub])