diff --git a/3rdparty/Makefile.am b/3rdparty/Makefile.am
index f936a4c753..c32db865b8 100644
--- a/3rdparty/Makefile.am
+++ b/3rdparty/Makefile.am
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ if USE_INCLUDED_BOOST
 BOOST = boost
 endif
 
+if USE_INCLUDED_HUNSPELL
+HUNSPELL = hunspell
+endif
+
 if USE_INCLUDED_ICONV
 ICONV = libiconv
 endif
@@ -14,4 +18,4 @@ if USE_INCLUDED_ZLIB
 ZLIB = zlib
 endif
 
-SUBDIRS = $(BOOST) $(ICONV) $(ZLIB)
+SUBDIRS = $(BOOST) $(HUNSPELL) $(ICONV) $(ZLIB)
diff --git a/3rdparty/hunspell/Makefile.am b/3rdparty/hunspell/Makefile.am
index a4e3aeb373..8a5b31283c 100644
--- a/3rdparty/hunspell/Makefile.am
+++ b/3rdparty/hunspell/Makefile.am
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 include $(top_srcdir)/config/common.am
 
-# This is prepared for compilation, but currently only used for packaging,
-# because configure support for compilation is still missing.
-
 noinst_LIBRARIES = liblyxhunspell.a
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
@@ -20,7 +17,10 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/license.hunspell \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/license.myspell \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/makefile.mk \
-	1.3.3/src/hunspell/README
+	1.3.3/src/hunspell/README \
+	1.3.3/src/hunspell/utf_info.cxx
+
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -DHUNSPELL_STATIC
 
 liblyxhunspell_a_SOURCES = \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/affentry.cxx \
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ liblyxhunspell_a_SOURCES = \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/replist.hxx \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/suggestmgr.cxx \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/suggestmgr.hxx \
-	1.3.3/src/hunspell/utf_info.cxx \
 	1.3.3/src/hunspell/w_char.hxx \
 	1.3.3/src/parsers/firstparser.cxx \
 	1.3.3/src/parsers/firstparser.hxx \
diff --git a/config/spell.m4 b/config/spell.m4
index 1a2a1e9522..fffad96aa5 100644
--- a/config/spell.m4
+++ b/config/spell.m4
@@ -68,16 +68,43 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_WITH_HUNSPELL],
     fi
     ])
 
+dnl Usage: LYX_USE_INCLUDED_HUNSPELL : select if the included hunspell should
+dnl        be used.
+AC_DEFUN([LYX_USE_INCLUDED_HUNSPELL],[
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to use included hunspell library])
+	AC_ARG_WITH(included-hunspell,
+		[AC_HELP_STRING([--without-included-hunspell], [do not use the hunspell lib supplied with LyX, try to find one in the system directories - compilation will abort if nothing suitable is found])],
+		[lyx_cv_with_included_hunspell=$withval],
+		[lyx_cv_with_included_hunspell=no])
+	AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_INCLUDED_HUNSPELL, test x$lyx_cv_with_included_hunspell = xyes)
+	AC_MSG_RESULT([$lyx_cv_with_included_hunspell])
+	if test x$lyx_cv_with_included_hunspell = xyes ; then
+		HUNSPELL_CFLAGS='-I$(top_srcdir)/3rdparty/hunspell/1.3.3/src'
+		HUNSPELL_LIBS='$(top_builddir)/3rdparty/hunspell/liblyxhunspell.a'
+		AC_SUBST(HUNSPELL_CFLAGS)
+		AC_SUBST(HUNSPELL_LIBS)
+	fi
+	])
+
 
 ### Check if we want spell libraries, prefer new aspell or hunspell
 AC_DEFUN([LYX_CHECK_SPELL_ENGINES],
 [
-	CHECK_WITH_ASPELL
+	LYX_USE_INCLUDED_HUNSPELL
+	if test x$lyx_cv_with_included_hunspell = xyes ; then
+dnl the user wanted to use the included hunspell, so do not check for the other spell checkers
+		lyx_use_aspell=false
+		lyx_use_enchant=false
+		lyx_use_hunspell=true
+		lyx_flags="$lyx_flags use-hunspell"
+	else
+		CHECK_WITH_ASPELL
+		CHECK_WITH_ENCHANT
+		CHECK_WITH_HUNSPELL
+	fi
+
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_ASPELL, $lyx_use_aspell)
-
-	CHECK_WITH_ENCHANT
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_ENCHANT, $lyx_use_enchant)
-
-	CHECK_WITH_HUNSPELL
 	AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_HUNSPELL, $lyx_use_hunspell)
 	])
+