diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 365abff..2b6761f 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -176,15 +176,64 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([geteuid getuid link memmove memset mkstemp strchr strrchr strtol
 #
 # Checks for iconv
 #
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for a usable iconv])
-ICONV_LIBS=""
-AC_TRY_LINK([#include <iconv.h>],
-	    [iconv_open ("from", "to");],
-	    [use_iconv=1],
-	    [use_iconv=0])
-if test x$use_iconv = x1; then
+AC_ARG_WITH(libiconv,          [  --with-libiconv=DIR              Use libiconv in DIR],
+            libiconv_prefix=$withval, libiconv_prefix=auto)
+AC_ARG_WITH(libiconv-includes, [  --with-libiconv-includes=DIR     Use libiconv includes in DIR],
+            libiconv_includes=$withval, libiconv_includes=auto)
+AC_ARG_WITH(libiconv-lib,      [  --with-libiconv-lib=DIR          Use libiconv library in DIR],
+            libiconv_lib=$withval, libiconv_lib=auto)
+
+# if none of libiconv,libiconv-includes,libiconv-libs are specified,
+if test "$libiconv_prefix" != "auto" -o "$libiconv_includes" != "auto" -o "$libiconv_lib" != "auto"
+then
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([libiconv in specified directory])
+
+  if test "${libiconv_includes}" != auto -a -r ${libiconv_includes}/iconv.h
+  then
+    libiconv_cflags="-I${libiconv_includes}"
+  elif test "${libiconv_prefix}" != auto -a -r ${libiconv_prefix}/include/iconv.h
+  then
+    libiconv_cflags="-I${libiconv_prefix}/include"
+  else
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
+  fi
+
+  if test "${libiconv_lib}" != auto # -a -r ${libiconv_libs}/libiconv*
+  then
+    libiconv_lib="-L${libiconv_lib} -liconv"
+  elif test "${libiconv_prefix}" != auto # -a -r ${libiconv_prefix}/lib/libiconv*
+  then
+    libiconv_lib="-L${libiconv_prefix}/lib -liconv"
+  else
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
+  fi
+
+  CFLAGS_save="${CFLAGS}" 
+  LIBS_save="${LIBS}"
+  CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} ${libiconv_cflags}"
+  LIBS="${LIBS} ${libiconv_lib}"
+  
+  AC_TRY_LINK([#include <iconv.h>],
+	      [iconv_open ("from", "to");],
+	      [AC_MSG_RESULT([ok])
+               use_iconv=1],
+	      [AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
+               use_iconv=0])
+  ICONV_CFLAGS="${libiconv_cflags}"
+  ICONV_LIBS="${libiconv_lib}"
+fi
+
+if test "x${ICONV_CFLAGS}" = "x" -a "x${ICONV_LIBS}" = "x"
+then
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([for a usable iconv])
+  ICONV_LIBS=""
+  AC_TRY_LINK([#include <iconv.h>],
+	      [iconv_open ("from", "to");],
+	      [use_iconv=1],
+	      [use_iconv=0])
+  if test x$use_iconv = x1; then
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([libc])
-else
+  else
 	# try using libiconv
 	fontconfig_save_libs="$LIBS"
 	LIBS="$LIBS -liconv"
@@ -202,7 +251,10 @@ else
 	fi
 
 	LIBS="$fontconfig_save_libs"
+  fi
 fi
+
+AC_SUBST(ICONV_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(ICONV_LIBS)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(USE_ICONV,$use_iconv,[Use iconv.])
 
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 9110cde..3645ae9 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ endif
 INCLUDES = 						\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)					\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/src				\
+	$(ICONV_CFLAGS)					\
 	$(FREETYPE_CFLAGS)				\
 	$(LIBXML2_CFLAGS)				\
 	$(EXPAT_CFLAGS)					\