diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2d261db24..f41b0519d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -644,6 +644,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(xaa,               AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-xaa], [Build XAA (defa
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(vgahw,          AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-vgahw], [Build Xorg with vga access (default: enabled)]), [VGAHW=$enableval], [VGAHW=yes])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(vbe,            AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-vbe], [Build Xorg with VBE module (default: enabled)]), [VBE=$enableval], [VBE=yes])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(int10-module,     AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-int10-module], [Build Xorg with int10 module (default: enabled)]), [INT10MODULE=$enableval], [INT10MODULE=yes])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(windowswm,      AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-windowswm], [Build XWin with WindowsWM extension (default: no)]), [WINDOWSWM=$enableval], [WINDOWSWM=no])
 
 dnl DDXes.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(xorg,    	      AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-xorg], [Build Xorg server (default: auto)]), [XORG=$enableval], [XORG=auto])
@@ -1843,26 +1844,30 @@ fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$XWIN])
 
 if test "x$XWIN" = xyes; then
-	PKG_CHECK_EXISTS($WINDOWSWMPROTO, [WINDOWSWM=yes], [WINDOWSWM=no])
 	AC_DEFINE_DIR(SYSCONFDIR, sysconfdir, [Location of system.XWinrc])
 	AC_DEFINE_DIR(DEFAULT_LOGDIR, logdir, [Default log location])
 	AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(XORG_VERSION_CURRENT, [$VENDOR_RELEASE], [Current Xorg version])
 	AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(__VENDORDWEBSUPPORT__, ["$VENDOR_WEB"], [Vendor web address for support])
 	AC_CHECK_TOOL(WINDRES, windres)
+
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([XWINMODULES],[x11 xdmcp xau xfont])
+
+	if test "x$WINDOWSWM" = xauto; then
+		PKG_CHECK_EXISTS($WINDOWSWMPROTO, [WINDOWSWM=yes], [WINDOWSWM=no])
+	fi
+	if test "x$WINDOWSWM" = xyes ; then
+		PKG_CHECK_MODULES(WINDOWSWM, $WINDOWSWMPROTO)
+		XWINMODULES_CFLAGS="$XWINMODULES_CFLAGS $WINDOWSWM_CFLAGS"
+		AC_DEFINE(ROOTLESS,1,[Build Rootless code])
+	fi
+
 	case $host_os in
 		cygwin*)
 			XWIN_SERVER_NAME=XWin
-			PKG_CHECK_MODULES([XWINMODULES],[x11 xdmcp xau xfont])
 			AC_DEFINE(HAS_DEVWINDOWS,1,[Cygwin has /dev/windows for signaling new win32 messages])
-
-			dnl if we have windowswmproto, build rootless extension for multwindowextwm mode
-			if test "x$WINDOWSWM" = xyes ; then
-			       AC_DEFINE(ROOTLESS,1,[Build Rootless code])
-			fi
 			;;
 		mingw*)
 			XWIN_SERVER_NAME=Xming
-			PKG_CHECK_MODULES([XWINMODULES],[x11 xdmcp xau xfont])
 			AC_DEFINE(RELOCATE_PROJECTROOT,1,[Make PROJECT_ROOT relative to the xserver location])
 			AC_DEFINE(HAS_WINSOCK,1,[Use Windows sockets])
 			XWIN_SYS_LIBS=-lwinsock2