diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index add6653e9..18e1c17a6 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1023,12 +1023,18 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(valgrind_pool,
 	      VALGRIND_POOL=$enableval, VALGRIND_POOL=no)
 AC_MSG_RESULT($VALGRIND_POOL)
 
-if test "$VALGRIND_POOL" = yes; then
-	pkg_config_init
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(VALGRIND, valgrind, [], [AC_MSG_ERROR(bailing out)])
+pkg_config_init
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(VALGRIND, valgrind, [HAVE_VALGRIND=yes], [if test x$VALGRIND_POOL = xyes; then AC_MSG_ERROR(bailing out); fi])
+AC_SUBST(VALGRIND_CFLAGS)
+
+if test x$HAVE_VALGRIND = xyes; then
+	AC_DEFINE([HAVE_VALGRIND], 1, [valgrind.h found])
+	AC_SUBST(HAVE_VALGRIND)
+fi
+
+if test x$VALGRIND_POOL = xyes; then
 	AC_DEFINE([VALGRIND_POOL], 1, [Enable a valgrind aware build of pool])
 	AC_SUBST(VALGRIND_POOL)
-	AC_SUBST(VALGRIND_CFLAGS)
 fi
 
 ################################################################################
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.in b/lib/Makefile.in
index 62600d594..749342dd5 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/Makefile.in
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ CFLOW_LIST_TARGET = $(LIB_NAME).cflow
 
 include $(top_builddir)/make.tmpl
 
-CFLAGS += $(BLKID_CFLAGS) $(UDEV_CFLAGS)
+CFLAGS += $(BLKID_CFLAGS) $(UDEV_CFLAGS) $(VALGRIND_CFLAGS)
 
 $(SUBDIRS): $(LIB_STATIC)
 
diff --git a/libdm/Makefile.in b/libdm/Makefile.in
index e50b174af..8e057c385 100644
--- a/libdm/Makefile.in
+++ b/libdm/Makefile.in
@@ -34,10 +34,7 @@ SOURCES =\
 	$(interface)/libdm-iface.c
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(srcdir)/$(interface) -I$(srcdir)
-ifeq ("@VALGRIND_POOL@", "yes")
-INCLUDES += @VALGRIND_CFLAGS@
-endif
-CFLAGS += $(UDEV_CFLAGS)
+CFLAGS += $(UDEV_CFLAGS) $(VALGRIND_CFLAGS)
 
 ifeq ("@STATIC_LINK@", "yes")
 LIB_STATIC = $(interface)/libdevmapper.a
diff --git a/make.tmpl.in b/make.tmpl.in
index 3a827318e..cfa065cfc 100644
--- a/make.tmpl.in
+++ b/make.tmpl.in
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ UDEV_CFLAGS = @UDEV_CFLAGS@
 UDEV_LIBS = @UDEV_LIBS@
 BLKID_CFLAGS = @BLKID_CFLAGS@
 BLKID_LIBS = @BLKID_LIBS@
+VALGRIND_CFLAGS = @VALGRIND_CFLAGS@
 TESTING = @TESTING@
 
 # Setup directory variables