diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 930574542..ae9d8cdda 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_CHECK_AIX_ALL_SOURCE], [
 #endif])
   AC_BEFORE([$0], [AC_SYS_LARGEFILE])dnl
   AC_BEFORE([$0], [CURL_CONFIGURE_REENTRANT])dnl
+  AC_BEFORE([$0], [CURL_CONFIGURE_PULL_SYS_POLL])dnl
   AC_MSG_CHECKING([if OS is AIX (to define _ALL_SOURCE)])
   AC_EGREP_CPP([yes_this_is_aix],[
 #ifdef _AIX
@@ -2310,6 +2311,8 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_CONFIGURE_CURL_SOCKLEN_T], [
   AC_REQUIRE([CURL_INCLUDES_SYS_SOCKET])dnl
   AC_REQUIRE([CURL_PREPROCESS_CALLCONV])dnl
   #
+  AC_BEFORE([$0], [CURL_CONFIGURE_PULL_SYS_POLL])dnl
+  #
   AC_MSG_CHECKING([for curl_socklen_t data type])
   curl_typeof_curl_socklen_t="unknown"
   for arg1 in int SOCKET; do
@@ -2418,6 +2421,45 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_CONFIGURE_CURL_SOCKLEN_T], [
 ])
 
 
+dnl CURL_CONFIGURE_PULL_SYS_POLL
+dnl -------------------------------------------------
+dnl Find out if system header file sys/poll.h must be included by the
+dnl external interface, making appropriate definitions for template file
+dnl include/curl/curlbuild.h.in to properly configure and use the library.
+dnl
+dnl The need for the sys/poll.h inclusion arises mainly to properly
+dnl interface AIX systems which define macros 'events' and 'revents'.
+
+AC_DEFUN([CURL_CONFIGURE_PULL_SYS_POLL], [
+  AC_REQUIRE([CURL_INCLUDES_POLL])dnl
+  #
+  tst_poll_events_macro_defined="unknown"
+  #
+  AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([
+    AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+      $curl_includes_poll
+    ]],[[
+#if defined(events) || defined(revents)
+      return 0;
+#else
+      force compilation error
+#endif
+    ]])
+  ],[
+    tst_poll_events_macro_defined="yes"
+  ],[
+    tst_poll_events_macro_defined="no"
+  ])
+  #
+  if test "$tst_poll_events_macro_defined" = "yes"; then
+    if test "x$ac_cv_header_sys_poll_h" = "xyes"; then
+      CURL_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CURL_PULL_SYS_POLL_H])
+    fi
+  fi
+  #
+])
+
+
 dnl CURL_CHECK_FUNC_SELECT
 dnl -------------------------------------------------
 dnl Test if the socket select() function is available,
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d9642863b..d203db5f8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2948,6 +2948,8 @@ AC_CHECK_TYPE([bool],[
 
 CURL_CONFIGURE_CURL_SOCKLEN_T
 
+CURL_CONFIGURE_PULL_SYS_POLL
+
 TYPE_IN_ADDR_T
 
 TYPE_SOCKADDR_STORAGE
diff --git a/include/curl/curlbuild.h.in b/include/curl/curlbuild.h.in
index fe348f40d..e29f195d2 100644
--- a/include/curl/curlbuild.h.in
+++ b/include/curl/curlbuild.h.in
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  *                            | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
  *                             \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2011, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2012, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
  *
  * This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
  * you should have received as part of this distribution. The terms
@@ -151,6 +151,13 @@
 #  include <sys/socket.h>
 #endif
 
+/* Configure process defines this to 1 when it finds out that system  */
+/* header file sys/poll.h must be included by the external interface. */
+#undef CURL_PULL_SYS_POLL_H
+#ifdef CURL_PULL_SYS_POLL_H
+#  include <sys/poll.h>
+#endif
+
 /* The size of `long', as computed by sizeof. */
 #undef CURL_SIZEOF_LONG
 
diff --git a/include/curl/curlrules.h b/include/curl/curlrules.h
index cbc12fdd2..4e9c88003 100644
--- a/include/curl/curlrules.h
+++ b/include/curl/curlrules.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  *                            | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
  *                             \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2011, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2012, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
  *
  * This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
  * you should have received as part of this distribution. The terms
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ typedef char
 #undef CURL_PULL_WS2TCPIP_H
 #undef CURL_PULL_SYS_TYPES_H
 #undef CURL_PULL_SYS_SOCKET_H
+#undef CURL_PULL_SYS_POLL_H
 #undef CURL_PULL_STDINT_H
 #undef CURL_PULL_INTTYPES_H