diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9d08b05cef..f228619b47 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ LAM_C_GET_ALIGNMENT(void *, LAM_ALIGNMENT_VOID_P)
 
 AC_C_INLINE
 AC_C_RESTRICT
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS(stdbool.h)
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([stdbool.h alloca.h])
 LAM_C_WEAK_SYMBOLS
 
 # If we want the profiling layer:
diff --git a/src/datatype/dt_optimize.c b/src/datatype/dt_optimize.c
index d950f902c1..bbfcac1625 100644
--- a/src/datatype/dt_optimize.c
+++ b/src/datatype/dt_optimize.c
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 /* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; -*- */
 
+#include "lam_config.h"
+
 #include "datatype.h"
 #include "datatype_internal.h"
+#ifdef HAVE_ALLOCA_H
+#include <alloca.h>
+#endif
+#include <stdlib.h>
 
 /*   printf( "save in %s:%d at %p DT_BYTE disp %ld count %d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, (PELEM), (DISP), (COUNT) ); \ */
 #define SAVE_DESC( PELEM, DISP, COUNT ) \
diff --git a/src/datatype/dt_pack.c b/src/datatype/dt_pack.c
index 8084801c06..e42277b266 100644
--- a/src/datatype/dt_pack.c
+++ b/src/datatype/dt_pack.c
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 /* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; -*- */
 
+#include "lam_config.h"
+
 #include "datatype.h"
 #include "datatype_internal.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_ALLOCA_H
+#include <alloca.h>
+#endif
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
 static int convertor_pack_general( lam_convertor_t* pConvertor, struct iovec* out, unsigned int outCount )
 {
    dt_stack_t* pStack;   /* pointer to the position on the stack */
diff --git a/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c b/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c
index 4c84ee59d6..a809749821 100644
--- a/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c
+++ b/src/datatype/dt_unpack.c
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 /* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; -*- */
 
+#include "lam_config.h"
+
 #include "datatype.h"
 #include "datatype_internal.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_ALLOCA_H
+#include <alloca.h>
+#endif
+#include <stdlib.h>
 
 static int convertor_unpack_homogeneous( lam_convertor_t* pConv, struct iovec* iov, unsigned int out_size );
 static int convertor_unpack_general( lam_convertor_t* pConvertor,
diff --git a/src/datatype/fake_stack.c b/src/datatype/fake_stack.c
index ceda205aca..b87377d4e1 100644
--- a/src/datatype/fake_stack.c
+++ b/src/datatype/fake_stack.c
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 /* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset:4 ; -*- */
 
+#include "lam_config.h"
+
 #include "datatype.h"
 #include "datatype_internal.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_ALLOCA_H
+#include <alloca.h>
+#endif
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
 static inline long GET_LOOP_DISP( dt_elem_desc_t* _pElem )
 {
    while( _pElem->type == DT_LOOP ) ++_pElem;
diff --git a/src/include/types.h b/src/include/types.h
index 291428fe68..22c8edd8de 100644
--- a/src/include/types.h
+++ b/src/include/types.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
-
+#include <sys/select.h>
 #include "lam_config.h"
 
 /*
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@
 #define LAM_FD_SETSIZE          4096
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(NFDBITS) && defined(__NFDBITS)
+/* Linux doesn't expose NFDBITS if -ansi unless there is another #define
+ * so use the internal version
+ */
+#define NFDBITS __NFDBITS
+#endif
+
 struct lam_fd_set_t {
   int i;
     uint32_t fds_bits[LAM_FD_SETSIZE / NFDBITS];