--- configure.ac
+++ configure.ac
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@
 AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-passthru], [allow passthru mode]),
 set_passthru="$enableval",)
 
+dnl pthread underlinking issue #494450
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS([pthread_create], [pthread], [], [
+	AC_MSG_ERROR([unable to find the pthread_create() function])
+])
+
 if test "${set_passthru}" = "yes" ; then
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(PCSC,libpcsclite)
 AC_SUBST(PCSC_CFLAGS)