diff --git a/cf/roken.m4 b/cf/roken.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2e33ccd50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cf/roken.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+dnl $Id$
+dnl
+dnl try to look for an installed roken library with sufficient stuff
+dnl
+dnl set LIB_roken to the what we should link with
+dnl set DIR_roken to if the directory should be built
+
+dnl AC_ROKEN(version,directory-to-try,fallback-string)
+AC_DEFUN(AC_ROKEN, [
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(roken,
+[  --with-roken=dir	use the roken library in dir],
+[if test "$withval" = "no"; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR(roken is required)
+fi])
+
+save_CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS}"
+
+case $with_roken in
+yes|"")
+  dirs="$2" ;;
+*)
+  dirs="$with_roken" ;;
+esac
+
+roken_installed=no
+
+for i in $dirs; do
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for roken in $i)
+
+CPPFLAGS="-I$i/include ${CPPFLAGS}"
+
+AC_TRY_CPP(
+[#include <roken.h>
+#if ROKEN_VERSION < $1
+#error old roken version, should be $1
+fail
+#endif
+],[roken_installed=yes; break])
+
+AC_MSG_RESULT($roken_installed)
+
+done
+
+CPPFLAGS="$save_CPPFLAGS"
+
+if test "$roken_installed" != "yes"; then
+  DIR_roken="roken"
+  LIB_roken='$3'
+else
+  LIB_roken="$i/lib/libroken.la"
+  CPPFLAGS="-I$i/include ${CPPFLAGS}"
+fi
+
+LIB_roken="${LIB_roken} \$(LIB_crypt) \$(LIB_dbopen)"
+
+AC_SUBST(LIB_roken)dnl
+AC_SUBST(DIR_roken)dnl
+])