diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 9ac9132f..147b792d 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1217,30 +1217,36 @@ fi
 # ========
 # libevent
 # ========
-AC_ARG_WITH(libevent, [  --with-libevent         compile with libevent],
+AC_ARG_WITH(libev,    [  --with-libev            compile with libev (libevent compatibility mode)],
+            [if test "$withval" = yes; then enable_libev=yes; else enable_libev=no; fi])
+cf_have_libev=no
+if test "$enable_libev" = yes; then
+	AC_CHECK_HEADERS(event.h libev/event.h)
+	if test "$ac_cv_header_event_h" = yes -o "$ac_cv_header_libev_event_h"; then
+		AC_CHECK_LIB(ev, event_loop)
+		if test "$ac_cv_lib_ev_event_loop" = yes; then
+			cf_have_libev=yes
+		fi
+	fi
+fi
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(libevent, [  --with-libevent         compile with libevent. Note that --with-libev has precedence],
             [if test "$withval" = yes; then enable_libevent=yes; else enable_libevent=no; fi])
 
 cf_have_libevent=no
-if test "$enable_libevent" = yes; then
-	AC_CHECK_HEADERS(event.h ev-event.h libev/event.h)
+if test "$enable_libevent" = yes -a "$cf_have_libev" = no; then
+	AC_CHECK_HEADERS(event.h ev-event.h)
 	if test "$ac_cv_header_event_h" = yes; then
 		AC_CHECK_LIB(event, event_loop)
 		if test "$ac_cv_lib_event_event_loop" = yes; then
-			cf_have_libevent=libevent
-		fi
-	fi
-	if test "$cf_have_libevent" = no; then
-		if test "$ac_cv_header_event_h" = yes -o "$ac_cv_header_ev_event_h" = yes -o "$ac_cv_header_libev_event_h"; then
-			AC_CHECK_LIB(ev, event_loop)
-			if test "$ac_cv_lib_ev_event_loop" = yes; then
-				cf_have_libevent=libev
-			fi
+			cf_have_libevent=yes
 		fi
 	fi
 fi
-if test "$cf_have_libevent" != no; then
+if test "$cf_have_libev" = yes -o "$cf_have_libevent" = yes; then
 	AC_HAVE_FUNCS(event_base_set event_get_version event_get_method event_base_free event_base_new event_reinit event_base_get_method event_config_set_flag event_get_struct_event_size)
 fi
+EL_LOG_CONFIG([CONFIG_LIBEV], [[libev]], [[$cf_have_libev]])
 EL_LOG_CONFIG([CONFIG_LIBEVENT], [[libevent]], [[$cf_have_libevent]])
 
 
diff --git a/src/main/select.c b/src/main/select.c
index b2560596..7382a0c3 100644
--- a/src/main/select.c
+++ b/src/main/select.c
@@ -31,13 +31,20 @@
 #include <poll.h>
 #endif
 
-#if (defined(HAVE_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_EV_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_LIBEV_EVENT_H)) && (defined(HAVE_LIBEVENT) || defined(HAVE_LIBEV)) && !defined(OPENVMS) && !defined(DOS)
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBEV) && !defined(OPENVMS) && !defined(DOS)
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBEV_EVENT_H
+#include <libev/event.h>
+#elif defined(HAVE_EVENT_H)
+#include <event.h>
+#endif
+#define USE_LIBEVENT
+#endif
+
+#if (defined(HAVE_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_EV_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_LIBEV_EVENT_H)) && defined(HAVE_LIBEVENT) && !defined(OPENVMS) && !defined(DOS)
 #if defined(HAVE_EVENT_H)
 #include <event.h>
 #elif defined(HAVE_EV_EVENT_H)
 #include <ev-event.h>
-#else
-#include <libev/event.h>
 #endif
 #define USE_LIBEVENT
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main/timer.c b/src/main/timer.c
index 1dbc07e9..d3104307 100644
--- a/src/main/timer.c
+++ b/src/main/timer.c
@@ -6,13 +6,20 @@
 
 #include <errno.h>
 
-#if (defined(HAVE_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_EV_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_LIBEV_EVENT_H)) && (defined(HAVE_LIBEVENT) || defined(HAVE_LIBEV)) && !defined(OPENVMS) && !defined(DOS)
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBEV) && !defined(OPENVMS) && !defined(DOS)
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBEV_EVENT_H
+#include <libev/event.h>
+#elif defined(HAVE_EVENT_H)
+#include <event.h>
+#endif
+#define USE_LIBEVENT
+#endif
+
+#if (defined(HAVE_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_EV_EVENT_H) || defined(HAVE_LIBEV_EVENT_H)) && defined(HAVE_LIBEVENT) && !defined(OPENVMS) && !defined(DOS)
 #if defined(HAVE_EVENT_H)
 #include <event.h>
 #elif defined(HAVE_EV_EVENT_H)
 #include <ev-event.h>
-#else
-#include <libev/event.h>
 #endif
 #define USE_LIBEVENT
 #endif