diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a155790f45abaf1efb7d4cad0c16b68fe1f63c09..4f2a7e9920e466c768fb6c615a7133bf5cf3a66b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -997,7 +997,14 @@ if test "$with_linux" = "yes"; then
   if test "$with_qemu" = "yes" || test "$with_lxc" = "yes" ; then
     AC_CHECK_HEADERS([linux/param.h linux/sockios.h linux/if_bridge.h linux/if_tun.h],,
       [AC_MSG_ERROR([You must install kernel-headers in order to compile libvirt with QEMU or LXC support])],
-      [[#include <netinet/in.h>
+      [[/* The kernel folks broke their headers when used with particular
+         * glibc versions; although the structs are ABI compatible, the
+         * C type system doesn't like struct redefinitions.  We work around
+         * the problem here in the same manner as in virnetdevbridge.c.  */
+        #include <netinet/in.h>
+        #define in6_addr in6_addr_
+        #define sockaddr_in6 sockaddr_in6_
+        #define ipv6_mreq ipv6_mreq_
       ]])
   fi
 fi