diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a12f1f593..3b6124d15 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -10429,6 +10429,68 @@ then :
 fi
 
 
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing mallinfo2" >&5
+printf %s "checking for library containing mallinfo2... " >&6; }
+if test ${ac_cv_search_mallinfo2+y}
+then :
+  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
+else $as_nop
+  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+char mallinfo2 ();
+int
+main (void)
+{
+return mallinfo2 ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+for ac_lib in '' malloc
+do
+  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
+    ac_res="none required"
+  else
+    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
+    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
+  fi
+  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"
+then :
+  ac_cv_search_mallinfo2=$ac_res
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.beam \
+    conftest$ac_exeext
+  if test ${ac_cv_search_mallinfo2+y}
+then :
+  break
+fi
+done
+if test ${ac_cv_search_mallinfo2+y}
+then :
+
+else $as_nop
+  ac_cv_search_mallinfo2=no
+fi
+rm conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_search_mallinfo2" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$ac_cv_search_mallinfo2" >&6; }
+ac_res=$ac_cv_search_mallinfo2
+if test "$ac_res" != no
+then :
+  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
+
+printf "%s\n" "#define HAVE_MALLINFO2 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+fi
+
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e05fb6b6c..45233bb57 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -892,6 +892,10 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS(sin, m)
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS(cblas_daxpy, gslcblas)
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS(gsl_version, gsl)
 
+dnl mallinfo is optional; the code can compile (minus features) without it
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(mallinfo2,malloc,AC_DEFINE([HAVE_MALLINFO2],[1],
+               [Define if mallinfo2() is available on this platform.]))
+
 dnl AC_CHECK_LIB(c, strsignal)
 
 dnl Checks for header files.