diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 30ec7b93..c43555e8 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -569,6 +569,8 @@ LIBZNCDIR
 LIBZNC
 MODFLAGS
 PERL_BINARY
+openssl_LIBS
+openssl_CFLAGS
 c_ares_LIBS
 c_ares_CFLAGS
 PKG_CONFIG
@@ -656,7 +658,9 @@ CPPFLAGS
 CCC
 PKG_CONFIG
 c_ares_CFLAGS
-c_ares_LIBS'
+c_ares_LIBS
+openssl_CFLAGS
+openssl_LIBS'
 
 
 # Initialize some variables set by options.
@@ -1307,6 +1311,10 @@ Some influential environment variables:
   c_ares_CFLAGS
               C compiler flags for c_ares, overriding pkg-config
   c_ares_LIBS linker flags for c_ares, overriding pkg-config
+  openssl_CFLAGS
+              C compiler flags for openssl, overriding pkg-config
+  openssl_LIBS
+              linker flags for openssl, overriding pkg-config
 
 Use these variables to override the choices made by `configure' or to help
 it to find libraries and programs with nonstandard names/locations.
@@ -2896,71 +2904,6 @@ if test "x$ac_cv_func_lstat" = x""yes; then :
 fi
 
 
-# ----- Check for dlopen
-
-FOUND_DL=no
-# Don't use any libs like -lssl -lcrypto when checking for dlopen(),
-# because they might change the test results
-SAVED_LIBS="$LIBS"
-LIBS=""
-
-ac_fn_cxx_check_func "$LINENO" "dlopen" "ac_cv_func_dlopen"
-if test "x$ac_cv_func_dlopen" = x""yes; then :
-  FOUND_DL=yes
-fi
-
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for dlopen in -ldl" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for dlopen in -ldl... " >&6; }
-if test "${ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen+set}" = set; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-ldl  $LIBS"
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char dlopen ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return dlopen ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_cxx_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen=yes
-else
-  ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen=no
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen" >&6; }
-if test "x$ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen" = x""yes; then :
-  FOUND_DL=yes ; appendLib -ldl
-fi
-
-
-appendLib "$SAVED_LIBS"
-
-if test $FOUND_DL = "no" ; then
-	as_fn_error "Could not find dlopen. Try --disable-modules" "$LINENO" 5
-fi
-
-# ----- Check for c-ares
-
-if test "x$ARES" != "xno"; then
-	old_ARES=$ARES
-
 
 if test "x$ac_cv_env_PKG_CONFIG_set" != "xset"; then
 	if test -n "$ac_tool_prefix"; then
@@ -3076,6 +3019,71 @@ $as_echo "no" >&6; }
 	fi
 
 fi
+
+# ----- Check for dlopen
+
+FOUND_DL=no
+# Don't use any libs like -lssl -lcrypto when checking for dlopen(),
+# because they might change the test results
+SAVED_LIBS="$LIBS"
+LIBS=""
+
+ac_fn_cxx_check_func "$LINENO" "dlopen" "ac_cv_func_dlopen"
+if test "x$ac_cv_func_dlopen" = x""yes; then :
+  FOUND_DL=yes
+fi
+
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for dlopen in -ldl" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for dlopen in -ldl... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen+set}" = set; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-ldl  $LIBS"
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char dlopen ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return dlopen ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_cxx_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen=yes
+else
+  ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen=no
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen" >&6; }
+if test "x$ac_cv_lib_dl_dlopen" = x""yes; then :
+  FOUND_DL=yes ; appendLib -ldl
+fi
+
+
+appendLib "$SAVED_LIBS"
+
+if test $FOUND_DL = "no" ; then
+	as_fn_error "Could not find dlopen. Try --disable-modules" "$LINENO" 5
+fi
+
+# ----- Check for c-ares
+
+if test "x$ARES" != "xno"; then
+	old_ARES=$ARES
 	if test -z "$PKG_CONFIG"
 	then
 		ARES=no
@@ -3192,9 +3200,73 @@ if test "x$SSL" != "xno"; then
 	fi
 
 	old_SSL=$SSL
-	# Don't reorder this!
-	# On some arches libssl depends on libcrypto without linking to it :(
-	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for BIO_new in -lcrypto" >&5
+
+pkg_failed=no
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for openssl" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for openssl... " >&6; }
+
+if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+    if test -n "$openssl_CFLAGS"; then
+        pkg_cv_openssl_CFLAGS="$openssl_CFLAGS"
+    else
+        if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG" && \
+    { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors \"openssl\""; } >&5
+  ($PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors "openssl") 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  test $ac_status = 0; }; then
+  pkg_cv_openssl_CFLAGS=`$PKG_CONFIG --cflags "openssl" 2>/dev/null`
+else
+  pkg_failed=yes
+fi
+    fi
+else
+	pkg_failed=untried
+fi
+if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+    if test -n "$openssl_LIBS"; then
+        pkg_cv_openssl_LIBS="$openssl_LIBS"
+    else
+        if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG" && \
+    { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors \"openssl\""; } >&5
+  ($PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors "openssl") 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  test $ac_status = 0; }; then
+  pkg_cv_openssl_LIBS=`$PKG_CONFIG --libs "openssl" 2>/dev/null`
+else
+  pkg_failed=yes
+fi
+    fi
+else
+	pkg_failed=untried
+fi
+
+
+
+if test $pkg_failed = yes; then
+
+if $PKG_CONFIG --atleast-pkgconfig-version 0.20; then
+        _pkg_short_errors_supported=yes
+else
+        _pkg_short_errors_supported=no
+fi
+        if test $_pkg_short_errors_supported = yes; then
+	        openssl_PKG_ERRORS=`$PKG_CONFIG --short-errors --errors-to-stdout --print-errors "openssl"`
+        else
+	        openssl_PKG_ERRORS=`$PKG_CONFIG --errors-to-stdout --print-errors "openssl"`
+        fi
+	# Put the nasty error message in config.log where it belongs
+	echo "$openssl_PKG_ERRORS" >&5
+
+	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+
+		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+		# Don't reorder this!
+		# On some arches libssl depends on libcrypto without linking to it :(
+		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for BIO_new in -lcrypto" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for BIO_new in -lcrypto... " >&6; }
 if test "${ac_cv_lib_crypto_BIO_new+set}" = set; then :
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
@@ -3241,7 +3313,7 @@ else
   SSL=no
 fi
 
-	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for SSL_shutdown in -lssl" >&5
+		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for SSL_shutdown in -lssl" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for SSL_shutdown in -lssl... " >&6; }
 if test "${ac_cv_lib_ssl_SSL_shutdown+set}" = set; then :
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
@@ -3289,6 +3361,118 @@ else
 fi
 
 
+elif test $pkg_failed = untried; then
+
+		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+		# Don't reorder this!
+		# On some arches libssl depends on libcrypto without linking to it :(
+		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for BIO_new in -lcrypto" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for BIO_new in -lcrypto... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_crypto_BIO_new+set}" = set; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lcrypto  $LIBS"
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char BIO_new ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return BIO_new ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_cxx_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_lib_crypto_BIO_new=yes
+else
+  ac_cv_lib_crypto_BIO_new=no
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_crypto_BIO_new" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_crypto_BIO_new" >&6; }
+if test "x$ac_cv_lib_crypto_BIO_new" = x""yes; then :
+  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_LIBCRYPTO 1
+_ACEOF
+
+  LIBS="-lcrypto $LIBS"
+
+else
+  SSL=no
+fi
+
+		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for SSL_shutdown in -lssl" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for SSL_shutdown in -lssl... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_lib_ssl_SSL_shutdown+set}" = set; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lssl  $LIBS"
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char SSL_shutdown ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return SSL_shutdown ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_cxx_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_lib_ssl_SSL_shutdown=yes
+else
+  ac_cv_lib_ssl_SSL_shutdown=no
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_ssl_SSL_shutdown" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_ssl_SSL_shutdown" >&6; }
+if test "x$ac_cv_lib_ssl_SSL_shutdown" = x""yes; then :
+  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_LIBSSL 1
+_ACEOF
+
+  LIBS="-lssl $LIBS"
+
+else
+  SSL=no
+fi
+
+
+else
+	openssl_CFLAGS=$pkg_cv_openssl_CFLAGS
+	openssl_LIBS=$pkg_cv_openssl_LIBS
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+
+		appendLib "$openssl_LIBS"
+		appendCXX "$openssl_CFLAGS"
+
+fi
+
 	if test "x$SSL" = "xno" ; then
 
 	# This looks better in the summary at the end
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 53b57c95..a60b934c 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ fi
 
 AC_CHECK_LIB( gnugetopt, getopt_long,)
 AC_CHECK_FUNC([lstat], [appendCXX -DHAVE_LSTAT])
+PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG()
 
 # ----- Check for dlopen
 
@@ -157,7 +158,6 @@ fi
 
 if test "x$ARES" != "xno"; then
 	old_ARES=$ARES
-	PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG()
 	if test -z "$PKG_CONFIG"
 	then
 		ARES=no
@@ -190,10 +190,16 @@ if test "x$SSL" != "xno"; then
 	fi
 
 	old_SSL=$SSL
-	# Don't reorder this!
-	# On some arches libssl depends on libcrypto without linking to it :(
-	AC_CHECK_LIB( crypto, BIO_new,, SSL=no )
-	AC_CHECK_LIB( ssl, SSL_shutdown,, SSL=no )
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([openssl], [openssl], [
+		appendLib "$openssl_LIBS"
+		appendCXX "$openssl_CFLAGS"
+	], [
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+		# Don't reorder this!
+		# On some arches libssl depends on libcrypto without linking to it :(
+		AC_CHECK_LIB( crypto, BIO_new,, SSL=no )
+		AC_CHECK_LIB( ssl, SSL_shutdown,, SSL=no )
+	])
 
 	if test "x$SSL" = "xno" ; then
 		ZNC_AUTO_FAIL([SSL],