diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 8a954adcb..04a5f7d88 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
  - Make distclean now removed configure script
  - Improved PAM logging
  - Added some debug() calls for PAM
+ - Removed redundant subdirectories
+ - Integrated part of a patch from Dan Brosemer <odin@linuxfreak.com> for 
+   building on Debian.
 
 19991028
  - Further PAM enhancements.
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index 44a5686d0..f106c04d6 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@
 /* Define if you have the dl library (-ldl).  */
 #undef HAVE_LIBDL
 
+/* Define if you have the nsl library (-lnsl).  */
+#undef HAVE_LIBNSL
+
 /* Define if you have the pam library (-lpam).  */
 #undef HAVE_LIBPAM
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 0fac461c8..b6038523b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ dnl Replace `main' with a function in -lutil:
 AC_CHECK_LIB(util, logout, ,AC_MSG_ERROR([*** -lutil missing - this is part of libc. ***]))
 dnl Replace `main' with a function in -lz:
 AC_CHECK_LIB(z, deflate, ,AC_MSG_ERROR([*** zlib missing - please install first ***]))
+dnl check for nsl
+AC_CHECK_LIB(nsl, yp_match, , )
 dnl check for pwdb
-AC_CHECK_LIB(pwdb, pwdb_new, ,AC_MSG_ERROR([*** libpwdb missing - please install first ***]))
+AC_CHECK_LIB(pwdb, pwdb_new, , )
 dnl check for dl
 AC_CHECK_LIB(dl, dlopen, ,AC_MSG_ERROR([*** libdl missing - please install first ***]))
 dnl check for pam
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB(pam, pam_authenticate, ,AC_MSG_ERROR([*** PAM missing - please inst
 
 dnl Check for stuff in path.
 AC_CHECK_PROG(AR, ar, ar)
+AC_CHECK_PROG(RANLIB, ranlib, ranlib)
 
 dnl Check for ssl headers
 AC_CHECK_HEADER(openssl/bn.h, [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_OPENSSL)], [AC_CHECK_HEADER(ssl/bn.h, [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_SSL)], [AC_MSG_ERROR([*** ssl library missing - please install first ***])])])