diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5a932f4d018fbc001772c54b40d4a7bdbe2d3309..64e3664bd83b70f3c95c5f04ffafec009c0df553 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -472,10 +472,16 @@ GST_CHECK_FEATURE(JPEG, [jpeg], jpegenc jpegdec, [
   AC_SUBST(JPEG_LIBS)
 ])
 
+dnl *** ladspa ***
+translit(dnm, m, l) AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_LADSPA, true)
+GST_CHECK_FEATURE(LADSPA, [ladspa], ladspa, [
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER(ladspa.h, HAVE_LADSPA="yes", HAVE_LADSPA="no")
+])
+
 dnl *** lame ***
 translit(dnm, m, l) AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_LAME, true)
 GST_CHECK_FEATURE(LAME, [lame mp3 encoder library], lame, [
-GST_CHECK_LIBHEADER(LAME, mp3lame, lame_init, -lm, lame/lame.h, HAVE_LAME="yes" LAME_LIBS="-lmp3lame")
+  GST_CHECK_LIBHEADER(LAME, mp3lame, lame_init, -lm, lame/lame.h, HAVE_LAME="yes" LAME_LIBS="-lmp3lame")
 ])
 AC_SUBST(LAME_LIBS)
 
diff --git a/ext/Makefile.am b/ext/Makefile.am
index 4c8f3ea807f20ac5076f94abd8632b4b5afd7f09..72afc287f11025d19d1814db7bead2d5dcca4125 100644
--- a/ext/Makefile.am
+++ b/ext/Makefile.am
@@ -118,7 +118,11 @@ else
 JPEG_DIR=
 endif
 
+if USE_LADSPA
 LADSPA_DIR=ladspa
+else
+LADPSA_DIR=
+endif
 
 if USE_LAME
 LAME_DIR=lame