diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index aeec3f15..27efd170 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -145,20 +145,23 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([archive], [archive_read_data], ,
 	AC_MSG_ERROR([libarchive is needed to compile pacman!]))
 
 # Enable or disable usage of libdownload/libfetch
+# - this is a nested check- first see if we need a library, if we do then
+#   check for libdownload first, then fallback to libfetch, then die
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether to link with download library)
 if test "x$internaldownload" = "xyes" ; then
 	AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
 	AC_DEFINE([INTERNAL_DOWNLOAD], , [Use internal download library])
-	# Check for libdownload if it was actually requested
+	# Check for a download library if it was actually requested
 	AC_CHECK_LIB([download], [downloadParseURL], ,
-		AC_MSG_ERROR([libdownload is needed to compile pacman!]))
+		AC_CHECK_LIB([fetch], [fetchParseURL], ,
+			AC_MSG_ERROR([libdownload or libfetch are needed to compile with internal download support])) )
 else
 	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(INTERNAL_DOWNLOAD, test "x$internaldownload" = "xyes")
 
 # Checks for header files.
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([fcntl.h libintl.h limits.h locale.h string.h strings.h sys/ioctl.h sys/statvfs.h sys/time.h syslog.h wchar.h])
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([fcntl.h libintl.h limits.h locale.h string.h strings.h sys/ioctl.h sys/param.h sys/statvfs.h sys/syslimits.h sys/time.h syslog.h wchar.h])
 
 # Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 AC_C_INLINE
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/dload.c b/lib/libalpm/dload.c
index 0977eea0..44acec70 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/dload.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/dload.c
@@ -24,8 +24,25 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
-#if defined(INTERNAL_DOWNLOAD)
-#include <download.h> /* libdownload */
+#include <limits.h>
+/* the following two are needed on BSD for libfetch */
+#if defined(HAVE_SYS_SYSLIMITS_H)
+#include <sys/syslimits.h> /* PATH_MAX */
+#endif
+#if defined(HAVE_SYS_PARAM_H)
+#include <sys/param.h> /* MAXHOSTNAMELEN */
+#endif
+
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBDOWNLOAD)
+#include <download.h>
+#elif defined(HAVE_LIBFETCH)
+#include <fetch.h>
+#define downloadFreeURL fetchFreeURL
+#define downloadLastErrCode fetchLastErrCode
+#define downloadLastErrString fetchLastErrString
+#define downloadParseURL fetchParseURL
+#define downloadTimeout fetchTimeout
+#define downloadXGet fetchXGet
 #endif
 
 /* libalpm */
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/error.c b/lib/libalpm/error.c
index 30e9cf86..7c30cd09 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/error.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/error.c
@@ -19,8 +19,22 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#if defined(INTERNAL_DOWNLOAD)
+/* TODO: needed for the libfetch stuff, unfortunately- we should kill it */
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+/* the following two are needed on BSD for libfetch */
+#if defined(HAVE_SYS_SYSLIMITS_H)
+#include <sys/syslimits.h> /* PATH_MAX */
+#endif
+#if defined(HAVE_SYS_PARAM_H)
+#include <sys/param.h> /* MAXHOSTNAMELEN */
+#endif
+
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBDOWNLOAD)
 #include <download.h> /* downloadLastErrString */
+#elif defined(HAVE_LIBFETCH)
+#include <fetch.h> /* fetchLastErrString */
+#define downloadLastErrString fetchLastErrString
 #endif
 
 /* libalpm */
@@ -145,7 +159,7 @@ const char SYMEXPORT *alpm_strerror(int err)
 			return downloadLastErrString;
 #else
 			/* obviously shouldn't get here... */
-			return _("libdownload error");
+			return _("download library error");
 #endif
 		case PM_ERR_EXTERNAL_DOWNLOAD:
 			return _("error invoking external downloader");