diff --git a/m4/boinc_check_flags.m4 b/m4/boinc_check_flags.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d5dcf26db0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/boinc_check_flags.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+
+AC_DEFUN([BOINC_CHECK_CFLAG],[
+  AC_LANG_PUSH(C)
+  sv_flags="${CFLAGS}"
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(if C compiler supports $1)
+  CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} $1"
+  AC_LINK_IFELSE([
+    AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+      #define CONFIG_TEST
+      int foo() {return 1;}
+    ]],
+    [ return foo(); ])],
+    [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+      $2
+    ],
+    [ 
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+      CFLAGS="${sv_flags}"
+      $3
+    ]
+  )
+  AC_LANG_POP
+])
+
+AC_DEFUN([BOINC_CHECK_CXXFLAG],[
+  AC_LANG_PUSH(C++)
+  sv_flags="${CXXFLAGS}"
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(if C++ compiler supports $1)
+  CXXFLAGS="${CXXFLAGS} $1"
+  AC_LINK_IFELSE([
+    AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+      #define CONFIG_TEST
+      int foo() {return 1;}
+    ]],
+    [ return foo(); ])],
+    [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+      $2
+    ],
+    [ 
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+      CXXFLAGS="${sv_flags}"
+      $3
+    ]
+  )
+  AC_LANG_POP
+])
+
+AC_DEFUN([BOINC_CHECK_FFLAG],[
+  AC_LANG_PUSH(Fortran 77)
+  sv_flags="${FFLAGS}"
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(if f77 compiler supports $1)
+  FFLAGS="${FFLAGS} $1"
+  AC_LINK_IFELSE([
+    AC_LANG_PROGRAM([],
+    [      write(*,*) 'hello' ])],
+    [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+      $2
+    ],
+    [ 
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+      FFLAGS="${sv_flags}"
+      $3
+    ]
+  )
+  AC_LANG_POP
+])
+
+
+AC_DEFUN([BOINC_CHECK_LDFLAG],[
+  AC_LANG_PUSH(C)
+  sv_flags="${LDFLAGS}"
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(if $LD supports $1)
+  LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} $1"
+  AC_LINK_IFELSE([
+    AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+      #define CONFIG_TEST
+      int foo() {return 1;}
+    ]],
+    [ return foo(); ])],
+    [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+      $2
+    ],
+    [ 
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+      LDFLAGS="${sv_flags}"
+      $3
+    ]
+  )
+  AC_LANG_POP
+])