diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9b64683..c305d63 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -129,6 +129,22 @@
               [Defined to 1 if GCC visibility attribute is supported])
 fi
 
+# Check for -fstack-protector
+ssp_cc=yes
+if test "X$CC-cc" != "X"; then
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether ${CC-cc} accepts -fstack-protector])
+    ssp_old_cflags="$CFLAGS"
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fstack-protector"
+    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[]], [[alloca(100);]])], [], [ssp_cc=no])
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([$ssp_cc])
+    if test "X$ssp_cc" = "Xno"; then
+        CFLAGS="$ssp_old_cflags"
+    else
+        AC_DEFINE([ENABLE_SSP_CC], 1, [Define if SSP C support is enabled.])
+    fi
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_SSP, test "$ssp_cc" = "yes")
+
 # Check for DRM (mandatory)
 LIBDRM_VERSION=libdrm_version
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([DRM], [libdrm >= $LIBDRM_VERSION])
diff --git a/decode/Makefile.am b/decode/Makefile.am
index febc50d..8ea9252 100644
--- a/decode/Makefile.am
+++ b/decode/Makefile.am
@@ -24,11 +24,14 @@
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-Wall					\
-	-fstack-protector			\
 	$(LIBVA_CFLAGS)				\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/common			\
 	$(NULL)
 
+if USE_SSP
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -fstack-protector
+endif
+
 TEST_LIBS = \
 	$(LIBVA_LIBS)				\
 	$(top_builddir)/common/libva-display.la	\
diff --git a/encode/Makefile.am b/encode/Makefile.am
index ab1a86f..7396352 100644
--- a/encode/Makefile.am
+++ b/encode/Makefile.am
@@ -25,10 +25,13 @@
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-Wall				\
-	-fstack-protector		\
 	$(LIBVA_CFLAGS) 		\
 	$(NULL)
 
+if USE_SSP
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -fstack-protector
+endif
+
 h264encode_SOURCES	= h264encode.c
 h264encode_CFLAGS	= -I$(top_srcdir)/common -g
 h264encode_LDADD	= \
diff --git a/putsurface/Makefile.am b/putsurface/Makefile.am
index e7b62a1..10ae63e 100644
--- a/putsurface/Makefile.am
+++ b/putsurface/Makefile.am
@@ -26,9 +26,12 @@
 	$(LIBVA_CFLAGS)			\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/common		\
 	-Wall				\
-	-fstack-protector		\
 	$(NULL)
 
+if USE_SSP
+TEST_CFLAGS += -fstack-protector
+endif
+
 TEST_LIBS = \
 	$(LIBVA_LIBS)		\
 	$(top_builddir)/common/libva-display.la	\
diff --git a/vainfo/Makefile.am b/vainfo/Makefile.am
index aff201f..e59f466 100644
--- a/vainfo/Makefile.am
+++ b/vainfo/Makefile.am
@@ -27,9 +27,12 @@
 	$(LIBVA_CFLAGS) \
 	-DLIBVA_VERSION_S="\"$(LIBVA_VERSION)\"" \
 	-Wall \
-	-fstack-protector \
 	$(NULL)
 
+if USE_SSP
+vainfo_cflags += -fstack-protector
+endif
+
 vainfo_libs = \
        	$(LIBVA_LIBS) \
 	$(top_builddir)/common/libva-display.la	\
diff --git a/videoprocess/Makefile.am b/videoprocess/Makefile.am
index cbb44a3..0c52763 100644
--- a/videoprocess/Makefile.am
+++ b/videoprocess/Makefile.am
@@ -24,11 +24,14 @@
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-Wall					\
-	-fstack-protector			\
 	$(LIBVA_CFLAGS)				\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/common			\
 	$(NULL)
 
+if USE_SSP
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -fstack-protector
+endif
+
 TEST_LIBS = \
 	$(LIBVA_LIBS)				\
 	$(top_builddir)/common/libva-display.la	\