--- configure.ac
+++ configure.ac
@@ -91,6 +91,13 @@
       ])
     ])
 
+AC_ARG_WITH(gc, "where is gc install located", [test x"$with_gc" = xno && AC_MSG_ERROR([You can not build inkscape without gc])],
+	    [with_gc="yes"])
+test x"$with_gc" = xyes && with_gc="/usr"
+SAVE_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
+CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I$with_gc/include"
+SAVE_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
+LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$with_gc/lib"
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([gc.h gc/gc.h],
                  [
 		    # To test for the different required libs, I have to
@@ -98,12 +105,12 @@
 		    # desired function name.  They're all in libgc.
 		    # The "break" will exit from the top level
                     # AC_CHECK_HEADERS.
-		    gc_libs=""
+		    gc_libs="-ldl"
 		    AC_CHECK_LIB(gc, GC_init,
                                  [gc_ok=yes;
-				  LIBS="-lgc $gc_libs $LIBS";
+				  LIBS="-lgc $gc_libs $LIBS -L$with_gc/lib";
 				  break], [gc_ok=no], [$gc_libs])
-		    gc_libs="-lpthread"
+		    gc_libs="-lpthread -ldl"
 		    AC_CHECK_LIB(gc, GC_malloc,
                                  [gc_ok=yes;
 				  LIBS="-lgc $gc_libs $LIBS";
@@ -120,31 +127,31 @@
 				  break], [gc_ok=no], [$gc_libs])
 		    break],
                  [gc_ok=no])
-if test "x$gc_ok" = "xyes"; then
-	AC_MSG_CHECKING([libgc version 6.4+])
-	AC_RUN_IFELSE(
-		[AC_LANG_SOURCE([[
-			#ifdef HAVE_GC_GC_H
-			# include <gc/gc.h>
-			#else
-			# include <gc.h>
-			#endif
-			#include <stdio.h>
-			extern unsigned GC_version;
-			int main(void){
-				unsigned min = ((6 << 16) | (4 << 8) | 0);
-				printf("%d.%d.%d ",GC_version >> 16, (GC_version >> 8) & 0xFF, GC_version & 0xFF);
-				if (GC_version>=min) return 0;
-				return 1;
-			}]])],
-		[gc_ok=yes],
-		[gc_ok=no]
-	)
-	AC_MSG_RESULT([$gc_ok])
-fi
-if test "x$gc_ok" != "xyes"; then
-	AC_MSG_ERROR([libgc (the Boehm Conservative Collector) 6.4+, is needed to compile inkscape -- http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Hans_Boehm/gc])
-fi
+dnl if test "x$gc_ok" = "xyes"; then
+dnl 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([libgc version 6.4+])
+dnl 	AC_RUN_IFELSE(
+dnl 		[AC_LANG_SOURCE([[
+dnl 			#ifdef HAVE_GC_GC_H
+dnl 			# include <gc/gc.h>
+dnl 			#else
+dnl 			# include <gc.h>
+dnl 			#endif
+dnl			#include <stdio.h>
+dnl 			extern unsigned GC_version;
+dnl 			int main(void){
+dnl 				unsigned min = ((6 << 16) | (4 << 8) | 0);
+dnl				printf("%d.%d.%d ",GC_version >> 16, (GC_version >> 8) & 0xFF, GC_version & 0xFF);
+dnl 				if (GC_version>=min) return 0;
+dnl 				return 1;
+dnl 			}]])],
+dnl 		[gc_ok=yes],
+dnl 		[gc_ok=no]
+dnl 	)
+dnl 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$gc_ok])
+dnl fi
+dnl if test "x$gc_ok" != "xyes"; then
+dnl 	AC_MSG_ERROR([libgc (the Boehm Conservative Collector) 6.4+, is needed to compile inkscape -- http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Hans_Boehm/gc])
+dnl fi
 
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([malloc.h])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([mallinfo], [