diff --git a/configure b/configure
index b993b65..81272fa 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@
 vnc_tls=""
 vnc_sasl=""
 xen=""
+linux_aio=""
 
 gprof="no"
 debug_tcg="no"
@@ -523,6 +524,10 @@
   ;;
   --enable-mixemu) mixemu="yes"
   ;;
+  --disable-linux-aio) linux_aio="no"
+  ;;
+  --enable-linux-aio) linux_aio="yes"
+  ;;
   --enable-io-thread) io_thread="yes"
   ;;
   --disable-blobs) blobs="no"
@@ -674,6 +679,8 @@
 echo "  --sparc_cpu=V            Build qemu for Sparc architecture v7, v8, v8plus, v8plusa, v9"
 echo "  --disable-vde            disable support for vde network"
 echo "  --enable-vde             enable support for vde network"
+echo "  --disable-linux-aio      disable Linux AIO support"
+echo "  --enable-linux-aio       enable Linux AIO support"
 echo "  --enable-io-thread       enable IO thread"
 echo "  --disable-blobs          disable installing provided firmware blobs"
 echo "  --kerneldir=PATH         look for kernel includes in PATH"
@@ -1304,6 +1311,26 @@
 fi
 
 ##########################################
+# linux-aio probe
+AIOLIBS=""
+
+if test "$linux_aio" != "no" ; then
+  cat > $TMPC <<EOF
+#include <libaio.h>
+#include <sys/eventfd.h>
+int main(void) { io_setup(0, NULL); io_set_eventfd(NULL, 0); eventfd(0, 0); return 0; }
+EOF
+  if compile_prog "" "-laio" ; then
+    linux_aio=yes
+    LIBS="$LIBS -laio"
+  else
+    if test "$linux_aio" = "yes" ; then
+      feature_not_found "linux AIO"
+    fi
+  fi
+fi
+
+##########################################
 # iovec probe
 cat > $TMPC <<EOF
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -1638,6 +1665,7 @@
 echo "GUEST_BASE        $guest_base"
 echo "vde support       $vde"
 echo "IO thread         $io_thread"
+echo "Linux AIO support $linux_aio"
 echo "Install blobs     $blobs"
 echo "KVM support       $kvm"
 echo "fdt support       $fdt"
@@ -1811,6 +1839,9 @@
 if test "$io_thread" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_IOTHREAD=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
+if test "$linux_aio" = "yes" ; then
+  echo "CONFIG_LINUX_AIO=y" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
 if test "$blobs" = "yes" ; then
   echo "INSTALL_BLOBS=yes" >> $config_host_mak
 fi