diff --git a/config/common.am b/config/common.am
index dc12d57a06..3756a07aa7 100644
--- a/config/common.am
+++ b/config/common.am
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ BOOST_INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/boost
 BOOST_LIBS = $(top_builddir)/boost/liblyxboost.a
 else
 BOOST_INCLUDES =
-BOOST_LIBS = -lboost_filesystem -lboost_regex -lboost_signals -lboost_iostreams
+BOOST_FILESYSTEM = -lboost_filesystem$(BOOST_MT)
+BOOST_REGEX = -lboost_regex$(BOOST_MT)
+BOOST_SIGNALS = -lboost_signals$(BOOST_MT)
+BOOST_IOSTREAMS = -lboost_iostreams$(BOOST_MT)
+BOOST_LIBS = $(BOOST_FILESYSTEM) $(BOOST_REGEX) $(BOOST_SIGNALS) $(BOOST_IOSTREAMS)
 endif
 
 LIBS =
diff --git a/config/lyxinclude.m4 b/config/lyxinclude.m4
index 9ec41461e8..f173f6962c 100644
--- a/config/lyxinclude.m4
+++ b/config/lyxinclude.m4
@@ -430,6 +430,20 @@ AC_DEFUN([LYX_USE_INCLUDED_BOOST],[
 	    [lyx_cv_with_included_boost=yes])
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_INCLUDED_BOOST, test x$lyx_cv_with_included_boost = xyes)
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$lyx_cv_with_included_boost])
+	if test x$lyx_cv_with_included_boost != xyes ; then
+		AC_CHECK_LIB(boost_signals, main, [lyx_boost_underscore=yes], [], [-lm])
+		AC_CHECK_LIB(boost_signals-mt, main, [lyx_boost_underscore_mt=yes], [], [-lm $LIBTHREAD])
+		if test x$lyx_boost_underscore_mt = xyes ; then
+			BOOST_MT="-mt"
+		else
+			BOOST_MT=""
+			if test x$lyx_boost_plain != xyes -a x$lyx_boost_underscore != xyes ; then
+				LYX_ERROR([No suitable boost library found (do not use --without-included-boost)])
+			fi
+		fi
+		AC_SUBST(BOOST_SEP)
+		AC_SUBST(BOOST_MT)
+	fi
 ])