diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e29ebdc7..359d2137 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ \
 	util.h \
 ])
 
+# Look for sys_signame.
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS(sys_signame, )
+
 # Look for fmod.
 AC_CHECK_LIB(m, fmod)
 
diff --git a/tmux.c b/tmux.c
index f5cd4343..e16642fd 100644
--- a/tmux.c
+++ b/tmux.c
@@ -170,8 +170,10 @@ sig2name(int signo)
 {
      static char	s[11];
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_SIGNAME
      if (signo > 0 && signo < NSIG)
 	     return (sys_signame[signo]);
+#endif
      xsnprintf(s, sizeof s, "%d", signo);
      return (s);
 }