diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a524bded6f..07ee28f84e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -664,6 +664,12 @@ if test x$use_pkgconfig = xyes; then
       if test x$use_qr != xno; then
         BITCOIN_QT_CHECK([PKG_CHECK_MODULES([QR], [libqrencode], [have_qrencode=yes], [have_qrencode=no])])
       fi
+      if test x$build_bitcoin_utils$build_bitcoind$bitcoin_enable_qt$use_tests != xnononono; then
+        PKG_CHECK_MODULES([EVENT], [libevent],, [AC_MSG_ERROR(libevent not found.)])
+        if test x$TARGET_OS != xwindows; then
+          PKG_CHECK_MODULES([EVENT_PTHREADS], [libevent_pthreads],, [AC_MSG_ERROR(libevent_pthreads not found.)])
+        fi
+      fi
     ]
   )
 else
@@ -673,6 +679,14 @@ else
   AC_CHECK_HEADER([openssl/ssl.h],, AC_MSG_ERROR(libssl headers missing),)
   AC_CHECK_LIB([ssl],         [main],SSL_LIBS=-lssl, AC_MSG_ERROR(libssl missing))
 
+  if test x$build_bitcoin_utils$build_bitcoind$bitcoin_enable_qt$use_tests != xnononono; then
+    AC_CHECK_HEADER([event2/event.h],, AC_MSG_ERROR(libevent headers missing),)
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([event],[main],EVENT_LIBS=-levent,AC_MSG_ERROR(libevent missing))
+    if test x$TARGET_OS != xwindows; then
+      AC_CHECK_LIB([event_pthreads],[main],EVENT_PTHREADS_LIBS=-levent_pthreads,AC_MSG_ERROR(libevent_pthreads missing))
+    fi
+  fi
+
   BITCOIN_QT_CHECK(AC_CHECK_LIB([protobuf] ,[main],[PROTOBUF_LIBS=-lprotobuf], BITCOIN_QT_FAIL(libprotobuf not found)))
   if test x$use_qr != xno; then
     BITCOIN_QT_CHECK([AC_CHECK_LIB([qrencode], [main],[QR_LIBS=-lqrencode], [have_qrencode=no])])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index cc8dded413..4b646f0183 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ obj/build.h: FORCE
 libbitcoin_util_a-clientversion.$(OBJEXT): obj/build.h
 
 # server: shared between bitcoind and bitcoin-qt
-libbitcoin_server_a_CPPFLAGS = $(BITCOIN_INCLUDES) $(MINIUPNPC_CPPFLAGS)
+libbitcoin_server_a_CPPFLAGS = $(BITCOIN_INCLUDES) $(MINIUPNPC_CPPFLAGS) $(EVENT_CFLAGS) $(EVENT_PTHREADS_CFLAGS)
 libbitcoin_server_a_SOURCES = \
   addrman.cpp \
   alert.cpp \
@@ -319,12 +319,12 @@ if ENABLE_WALLET
 bitcoind_LDADD += libbitcoin_wallet.a
 endif
 
-bitcoind_LDADD += $(BOOST_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(MINIUPNPC_LIBS)
+bitcoind_LDADD += $(BOOST_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(MINIUPNPC_LIBS) $(EVENT_PTHREADS_LIBS) $(EVENT_LIBS)
 #
 
 # bitcoin-cli binary #
 bitcoin_cli_SOURCES = bitcoin-cli.cpp
-bitcoin_cli_CPPFLAGS = $(BITCOIN_INCLUDES)
+bitcoin_cli_CPPFLAGS = $(BITCOIN_INCLUDES) $(EVENT_CFLAGS)
 bitcoin_cli_LDFLAGS = $(RELDFLAGS) $(AM_LDFLAGS) $(LIBTOOL_APP_LDFLAGS)
 
 if TARGET_WINDOWS
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ bitcoin_cli_LDADD = \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_UTIL) \
   $(LIBSECP256K1)
 
-bitcoin_cli_LDADD += $(BOOST_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS)
+bitcoin_cli_LDADD += $(BOOST_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(EVENT_LIBS)
 #
 
 # bitcoin-tx binary #
diff --git a/src/Makefile.qt.include b/src/Makefile.qt.include
index 748f2b14d5..8d60aca25c 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.qt.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.qt.include
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ if ENABLE_WALLET
 qt_bitcoin_qt_LDADD += $(LIBBITCOIN_WALLET)
 endif
 qt_bitcoin_qt_LDADD += $(LIBBITCOIN_CLI) $(LIBBITCOIN_COMMON) $(LIBBITCOIN_UTIL) $(LIBBITCOIN_CRYPTO) $(LIBBITCOIN_UNIVALUE) $(LIBLEVELDB) $(LIBMEMENV) \
-  $(BOOST_LIBS) $(QT_LIBS) $(QT_DBUS_LIBS) $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(MINIUPNPC_LIBS) $(LIBSECP256K1)
+  $(BOOST_LIBS) $(QT_LIBS) $(QT_DBUS_LIBS) $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(MINIUPNPC_LIBS) $(LIBSECP256K1) \
+  $(EVENT_PTHREADS_LIBS) $(EVENT_LIBS)
 qt_bitcoin_qt_LDFLAGS = $(RELDFLAGS) $(AM_LDFLAGS) $(QT_LDFLAGS) $(LIBTOOL_APP_LDFLAGS)
 qt_bitcoin_qt_LIBTOOLFLAGS = --tag CXX
 
diff --git a/src/Makefile.qttest.include b/src/Makefile.qttest.include
index c5392cf307..4250bb8f3b 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.qttest.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.qttest.include
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ qt_test_test_bitcoin_qt_LDADD += $(LIBBITCOIN_WALLET)
 endif
 qt_test_test_bitcoin_qt_LDADD += $(LIBBITCOIN_CLI) $(LIBBITCOIN_COMMON) $(LIBBITCOIN_UTIL) $(LIBBITCOIN_CRYPTO) $(LIBBITCOIN_UNIVALUE) $(LIBLEVELDB) \
   $(LIBMEMENV) $(BOOST_LIBS) $(QT_DBUS_LIBS) $(QT_TEST_LIBS) $(QT_LIBS) \
-  $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(MINIUPNPC_LIBS) $(LIBSECP256K1)
+  $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS) $(SSL_LIBS) $(CRYPTO_LIBS) $(MINIUPNPC_LIBS) $(LIBSECP256K1) \
+  $(EVENT_PTHREADS_LIBS) $(EVENT_LIBS)
 qt_test_test_bitcoin_qt_LDFLAGS = $(RELDFLAGS) $(AM_LDFLAGS) $(QT_LDFLAGS) $(LIBTOOL_APP_LDFLAGS)
 
 CLEAN_BITCOIN_QT_TEST = $(TEST_QT_MOC_CPP) qt/test/*.gcda qt/test/*.gcno