diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ce9191f..6d55f8a 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@
     have_cpp="yes"
   fi
 
+  AX_CHECK_OPENSSL()
+
   AX_LIB_EVENT([1.0])
   have_libevent=$success
 
diff --git a/lib/cpp/Makefile.am b/lib/cpp/Makefile.am
index d0bfe62..857569a 100755
--- a/lib/cpp/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/cpp/Makefile.am
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libthrift.la
 pkgconfig_DATA = thrift.pc
-libthrift_la_LDFLAGS = -release $(VERSION) $(BOOST_LDFLAGS)
+libthrift_la_LDFLAGS = -release $(VERSION) $(BOOST_LDFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_LDFLAGS)
 
 ## We only build the extra libraries if we have the dependencies,
 ## but we install all of the headers unconditionally.
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@
 endif
 
 AM_CXXFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra -pedantic
-AM_CPPFLAGS = $(BOOST_CPPFLAGS) -I$(srcdir)/src
-AM_LDFLAGS = $(BOOST_LDFLAGS)
+AM_CPPFLAGS = $(BOOST_CPPFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_INCLUDES) -I$(srcdir)/src
+AM_LDFLAGS = $(BOOST_LDFLAGS) $(OPENSSL_LDFLAGS)
 
 # Define the source files for the module