diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -21,11 +21,28 @@ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/server/distrend.c]
 
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
+AC_PROG_RANLIB
 
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
 AM_PROG_CC_C_O
 AM_PATH_XML2(2.7.2)
 
+#basic low-level checks (suggested by autoscan)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS([dup2])
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS([memset])
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS([strdup])
+
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([fcntl.h])
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([malloc.h])
+
+AC_FUNC_FORK
+AC_FUNC_MALLOC
+
+AC_TYPE_PID_T
+AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
+
+#package dependencies:
+
 PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG(0.17.2)
 
 AC_CHECK_MYSQLR