diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f74f03ace..10d3b5397 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -65,6 +65,17 @@ if test x$BOXTYPE = xgeneric; then
 	# needed by libstb-hal's cVideo / GLFramebuffer
 	TUXBOX_APPS_LIB_PKGCONFIG(SWSCALE,libswscale)
 fi
+
+# either use dynamic lualib in package lua (openSUSE)
+# ... or in package lua5.2 (debian-derivates)
+# ... and if all fails, assume it is in the linker path (cross build)
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LUA], [lua >= 5.2], echo "lua >= 5.2 found", [
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LUA], [lua5.2 >= 5.2], echo "lua5.2 found", [
+		echo "=> lualib not found, assuming static lua in linker path..."
+		LUA_LIBS="-llua -ldl"
+	])
+])
+
 #TUXBOX_APPS_LIB_PKGCONFIG(CONFIGFILE,tuxbox-configfile)
 #TUXBOX_APPS_LIB_PKGCONFIG(CONNECTION,tuxbox-connection)
 #TUXBOX_APPS_LIB_PKGCONFIG(EVENTSERVER,tuxbox-eventserver)
@@ -193,6 +204,8 @@ AC_SUBST(VORBISIDEC_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(VORBISIDEC_LIBS)
 AC_SUBST(STB_HAL_INC)
 AC_SUBST(STB_HAL_LIB)
+AC_SUBST(LUA_CFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(LUA_LIBS)
 
 AC_OUTPUT([
 Makefile
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index fa6fdbb34..d86322dc7 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ neutrino_LDADD += -lgif
 else
 neutrino_LDADD += -lungif
 endif
-neutrino_LDADD += -llua -ldl
+neutrino_LDADD += @LUA_LIBS@
 
 if ENABLE_UPNP
 neutrino_LDADD += \
diff --git a/src/gui/Makefile.am b/src/gui/Makefile.am
index 733203482..5a4e8578a 100644
--- a/src/gui/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/gui/Makefile.am
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ INCLUDES = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/lib/xmltree \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/lib/libupnpclient \
 	@CURL_CFLAGS@ \
+	@LUA_CFLAGS@ \
 	@FREETYPE_CFLAGS@
 
 if BOXTYPE_COOL