diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 1af4cb2a8a..be96ad0699 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ opts.AddOptions(
     EnumOption('DIST_TARGET', 'Build target for cross compiling packagers', 'auto', allowed_values=('auto', 'i386', 'i686', 'x86_64', 'powerpc', 'tiger', 'panther', 'none' ), ignorecase=2),
     BoolOption('FPU_OPTIMIZATION', 'Build runtime checked assembler code', 1),
     BoolOption('FFT_ANALYSIS', 'Include FFT analysis window', 0),
-    BoolOption('SURFACES', 'Build support for control surfaces', 0)
+    BoolOption('SURFACES', 'Build support for control surfaces', 0),
+    BoolOption('DMALLOC', 'Compile and link using the dmalloc library', 0)
   )
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -414,6 +415,23 @@ else:
     
 libraries['usb'] = conf.Finish ()
 
+#
+# Check for dmalloc
+
+libraries['dmalloc'] = LibraryInfo ()
+
+#
+# look for the threaded version
+#
+
+conf = Configure (libraries['dmalloc'])
+if conf.CheckLib ('dmallocth', 'dmalloc_shutdown'):
+    have_libdmalloc = True
+else:
+    have_libdmalloc = False
+    
+libraries['dmalloc'] = conf.Finish ()
+
 #
 
 #
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/SConscript b/gtk2_ardour/SConscript
index d2959e442e..e490778476 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/SConscript
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/SConscript
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ gtkardour.Merge ([
     libraries['libglademm']
 ])
 
+if gtkardour['DMALLOC']:
+	gtkardour.Merge([libraries['dmalloc']])
+	gtkardour.Append(CCFLAGS='-DUSE_DMALLOC')
+
 if gtkardour['FFT_ANALYSIS']:
 	gtkardour.Merge ([libraries['fftw3f']])
 	gtkardour.Append(CCFLAGS='-DFFT_ANALYSIS')