diff --git a/lnet/archdep.m4 b/lnet/archdep.m4
index b203a95cd1770e81001fdf948b7df64e9474f107..6fb96e364146153bac2818bf609ecf4f659d02a0 100644
--- a/lnet/archdep.m4
+++ b/lnet/archdep.m4
@@ -397,3 +397,38 @@ if test "$HAVE_DIO_FILE" != 0 ; then
 else
   AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 fi
+
+# --- Check that ext3 and ext3 xattr are enabled in the kernel
+if test "$host_cpu" != "lib" ; then 
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([that ext3 is enabled in the kernel])
+	AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+#define __KERNEL__
+#include <linux/config.h>
+		],
+		[
+#ifdef CONFIG_EXT3_FS
+	return 0;
+#else
+#error CONFIG_EXT3_FS not #defined
+#endif
+		],[AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
+		[AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([Lustre requires that ext3 is enabled in the kernel (CONFIG_EXT3_FS)])
+		])
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([that extended attributes for ext3 are enabled in the kernel])
+	AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+#define __KERNEL__
+#include <linux/config.h>
+		],
+		[
+#ifdef CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR
+	return 0;
+#else
+#error CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR not #defined
+#endif
+		],[AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
+		[AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([Lustre requires that extended attributes for ext3 are enabled in the kernel (CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR)])
+		])
+fi
+
diff --git a/lustre/portals/archdep.m4 b/lustre/portals/archdep.m4
index b203a95cd1770e81001fdf948b7df64e9474f107..6fb96e364146153bac2818bf609ecf4f659d02a0 100644
--- a/lustre/portals/archdep.m4
+++ b/lustre/portals/archdep.m4
@@ -397,3 +397,38 @@ if test "$HAVE_DIO_FILE" != 0 ; then
 else
   AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 fi
+
+# --- Check that ext3 and ext3 xattr are enabled in the kernel
+if test "$host_cpu" != "lib" ; then 
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([that ext3 is enabled in the kernel])
+	AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+#define __KERNEL__
+#include <linux/config.h>
+		],
+		[
+#ifdef CONFIG_EXT3_FS
+	return 0;
+#else
+#error CONFIG_EXT3_FS not #defined
+#endif
+		],[AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
+		[AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([Lustre requires that ext3 is enabled in the kernel (CONFIG_EXT3_FS)])
+		])
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([that extended attributes for ext3 are enabled in the kernel])
+	AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+#define __KERNEL__
+#include <linux/config.h>
+		],
+		[
+#ifdef CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR
+	return 0;
+#else
+#error CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR not #defined
+#endif
+		],[AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
+		[AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([Lustre requires that extended attributes for ext3 are enabled in the kernel (CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR)])
+		])
+fi
+