diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index c643e64..402be56 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -64,6 +64,19 @@ case "$host" in
 esac
 AC_MSG_RESULT(ok)
 
+AC_ARG_WITH([system-libbfd],
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--with-system-libbfd], [Use the system copy of libbfd and libopcodes.]))
+
+AS_IF([test "x$with_system_libbfd" = "xyes"],
+	[
+		AC_CHECK_HEADERS([bfd.h], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Missing bfd.h header])])
+		AC_CHECK_LIB([bfd], [bfd_init], [:], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Missing libbfd library])])
+		AC_CHECK_LIB([opcodes], [init_disassemble_info], [:], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Missing libopcodes library])])
+		AC_CHECK_MEMBERS([asection.rawsize], [], [], [[#include <bfd.h>]])
+	])
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL([SYSTEM_LIBBFD], [test "x$with_system_libbfd" = "xyes"])
+
 AC_ARG_WITH(bfd-target,
 [  --with-bfd-target       Manually override the BFD target],
 	if test x$with_bfd_target != "x"; then
diff --git a/sysdeps/Makefile.am b/sysdeps/Makefile.am
index 017026f..f63c181 100644
--- a/sysdeps/Makefile.am
+++ b/sysdeps/Makefile.am
@@ -1 +1,5 @@
+if !SYSTEM_LIBBFD
 SUBDIRS = bfd server
+else
+SUBDIRS = server
+endif
diff --git a/sysdeps/server/Makefile.am b/sysdeps/server/Makefile.am
index dad57ab..8e7ac68 100644
--- a/sysdeps/server/Makefile.am
+++ b/sysdeps/server/Makefile.am
@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@ libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_SOURCES = \
 	bfdglue.c \
 	bfdglue.h
 
+if !SYSTEM_LIBBFD
 libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_LIBADD = \
 	../../sysdeps/bfd/opcodes/libopcodes.la ../../sysdeps/bfd/libbfd.la
-libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_LDFLAGS = \
-	-no-undefined -module -export-dynamic -shared
 
 libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/sysdeps/bfd \
@@ -17,6 +16,17 @@ libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/sysdeps/bfd/opcodes \
 	@SERVER_DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS@ @server_cflags@
 
+else
+libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_LIBADD = -lopcodes -lbfd
+
+libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_CPPFLAGS = \
+	@SERVER_DEPENDENCIES_CFLAGS@ @server_cflags@
+
+endif
+
+libmonodebuggerbfdglue_la_LDFLAGS = \
+	-no-undefined -module -export-dynamic -shared
+
 EXTRA_libmonodebuggerserver_la_SOURCES = \
 	i386-arch.c			\
 	i386-arch.h			\
diff --git a/sysdeps/server/bfdglue.c b/sysdeps/server/bfdglue.c
index 9a741ac..e2138e7 100644
--- a/sysdeps/server/bfdglue.c
+++ b/sysdeps/server/bfdglue.c
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#include <config.h>
+
 #include <bfdglue.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -246,7 +248,11 @@ bfd_glue_get_errormsg (void)
 guint32
 bfd_glue_get_section_size (asection *p)
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_ASECTION_RAWSIZE
+	return p->rawsize ? p->rawsize : p->size;
+#else
 	return p->_raw_size;
+#endif
 }
 
 BfdGlueSectionFlags
@@ -350,4 +356,4 @@ guint64
 bfd_glue_get_start_address (bfd *abfd)
 {
 	return bfd_get_start_address (abfd);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}