diff --git a/pdns/lua_hpp.mk b/pdns/lua_hpp.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..70502f49a8ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pdns/lua_hpp.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+lua.hpp:
+	$(AM_V_GEN)echo 'extern "C" {' > $@
+	@echo '#include "lua.h"' >> $@
+	@echo '#include "lualib.h"' >> $@
+	@echo '#include "lauxlib.h"' >> $@
+	@echo '}' >> $@
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/.gitignore b/pdns/recursordist/.gitignore
index 9d26984e896f..35bf6defd588 100644
--- a/pdns/recursordist/.gitignore
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/.gitignore
@@ -40,3 +40,4 @@
 /dnsmessage.pb.h
 /pdns-recursor.service
 /pdns-recursor@.service
+/lua.hpp
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am b/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am
index 3d3dd22a43ac..0a42a72147de 100644
--- a/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	effective_tld_names.dat \
 	epollmplexer.cc \
 	kqueuemplexer.cc \
+	lua_hpp.mk \
 	malloctrace.cc malloctrace.hh \
 	mtasker.cc \
 	mtasker_fcontext.cc mtasker_ucontext.cc \
@@ -133,6 +134,12 @@ pdns_recursor_SOURCES = \
 	ws-recursor.cc ws-recursor.hh \
 	zoneparser-tng.cc zoneparser-tng.hh
 
+if !HAVE_LUA_HPP
+BUILT_SOURCES += lua.hpp
+nodist_pdns_recursor_SOURCES = lua.hpp
+CLEANFILES += lua.hpp
+endif
+
 pdns_recursor_LDADD = \
 	$(YAHTTP_LIBS) \
 	$(JSON11_LIBS) \
@@ -250,3 +257,7 @@ systemdsystemunit_DATA = \
 	pdns-recursor.service \
 	pdns-recursor@.service
 endif
+
+if !HAVE_LUA_HPP
+include lua_hpp.mk
+endif
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/configure.ac b/pdns/recursordist/configure.ac
index 448ec662ea6d..b376001975e6 100644
--- a/pdns/recursordist/configure.ac
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/configure.ac
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ AX_CXX_COMPILE_STDCXX_11([ext], [mandatory])
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
 
 PDNS_CHECK_OS
+PDNS_CHECK_NETWORK_LIBS
 
 # Boost Context was introduced in 1.51 (Aug 2012), but there was an immediate
 # API break in 1.52 (Nov 2012), so we only support that, and later.
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/lua_hpp.mk b/pdns/recursordist/lua_hpp.mk
new file mode 120000
index 000000000000..52778c2266b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/lua_hpp.mk
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../lua_hpp.mk
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/m4/pdns_check_network_libs.m4 b/pdns/recursordist/m4/pdns_check_network_libs.m4
new file mode 120000
index 000000000000..ec197ee3b209
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/m4/pdns_check_network_libs.m4
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../../m4/pdns_check_network_libs.m4
\ No newline at end of file