diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e3efb9d44..5ed79b819 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([errno.h fcntl.h getopt.h limits.h locale.h malloc.h \
 netdb.h sgtty.h stddef.h termio.h termios.h values.h ws2tcpip.h \
 arpa/inet.h dev/ppbus/ppbconf.hdev/ppbus/ppi.h \
 linux/hidraw.h linux/ioctl.h linux/parport.h linux/ppdev.h  netinet/in.h \
-sys/ioccom.h sys/ioctl.h sys/param.h sys/socket.h sys/time.h])
+sys/ioccom.h sys/ioctl.h sys/param.h sys/socket.h sys/stat.h sys/time.h])
 
 
 ## ------------------------------------ ##
@@ -356,6 +356,28 @@ AC_SUBST([LIBXML2_LIBS])
 AC_SUBST([LIBXML2_CFLAGS])
 
 
+dnl Check if readline support in rigctl/rotctl is wanted
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to use readline in rigctl/rotctl])
+AC_ARG_WITH([readline],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-readline],
+        [disable readline in rigctl/rotctl @<:@default=yes@:>@])],
+        [cf_with_readline_support=no],
+        [cf_with_readline_support=yes]
+    )
+
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$cf_with_readline_support])
+
+AS_IF([test x"$cf_with_readline_support" != "xno"], [
+    # macros/ax_lib_readline.m4
+    AX_LIB_READLINE
+    ])
+
+AS_IF([test x"$ax_cv_lib_readline" = "xno"], [
+    AC_MSG_WARN([readline support not found, using internal input handling.])
+    cf_with_readline_support=no
+    ])
+
+
 dnl Check if libgd-dev is installed, so we can enable rigmatrix
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to build HTML rig feature matrix])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([html-matrix],
@@ -701,6 +723,7 @@ echo \
     With TCL binding                ${build_tcl}
     With rigmem XML support         ${cf_with_xml_support}
     With included ltdl              ${with_included_ltdl}
+    With Readline support           ${cf_with_readline_support}
 
     Enable HTML rig feature matrix  ${cf_enable_html_matrix}
     Enable WinRadio                 ${cf_with_winradio}
diff --git a/macros/ax_lib_readline.m4 b/macros/ax_lib_readline.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..056f25c2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/macros/ax_lib_readline.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# ===========================================================================
+#      http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf-archive/ax_lib_readline.html
+# ===========================================================================
+#
+# SYNOPSIS
+#
+#   AX_LIB_READLINE
+#
+# DESCRIPTION
+#
+#   Searches for a readline compatible library. If found, defines
+#   `HAVE_LIBREADLINE'. If the found library has the `add_history' function,
+#   sets also `HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY'. Also checks for the locations of the
+#   necessary include files and sets `HAVE_READLINE_H' or
+#   `HAVE_READLINE_READLINE_H' and `HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY_H' or
+#   'HAVE_HISTORY_H' if the corresponding include files exists.
+#
+#   The libraries that may be readline compatible are `libedit',
+#   `libeditline' and `libreadline'. Sometimes we need to link a termcap
+#   library for readline to work, this macro tests these cases too by trying
+#   to link with `libtermcap', `libcurses' or `libncurses' before giving up.
+#
+#   Here is an example of how to use the information provided by this macro
+#   to perform the necessary includes or declarations in a C file:
+#
+#     #ifdef HAVE_LIBREADLINE
+#     #  if defined(HAVE_READLINE_READLINE_H)
+#     #    include <readline/readline.h>
+#     #  elif defined(HAVE_READLINE_H)
+#     #    include <readline.h>
+#     #  else /* !defined(HAVE_READLINE_H) */
+#     extern char *readline ();
+#     #  endif /* !defined(HAVE_READLINE_H) */
+#     char *cmdline = NULL;
+#     #else /* !defined(HAVE_READLINE_READLINE_H) */
+#       /* no readline */
+#     #endif /* HAVE_LIBREADLINE */
+#
+#     #ifdef HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY
+#     #  if defined(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY_H)
+#     #    include <readline/history.h>
+#     #  elif defined(HAVE_HISTORY_H)
+#     #    include <history.h>
+#     #  else /* !defined(HAVE_HISTORY_H) */
+#     extern void add_history ();
+#     extern int write_history ();
+#     extern int read_history ();
+#     #  endif /* defined(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY_H) */
+#       /* no history */
+#     #endif /* HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY */
+#
+# LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright (c) 2008 Ville Laurikari <vl@iki.fi>
+#
+#   Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are
+#   permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice
+#   and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any
+#   warranty.
+
+#serial 6
+
+AU_ALIAS([VL_LIB_READLINE], [AX_LIB_READLINE])
+AC_DEFUN([AX_LIB_READLINE], [
+  AC_CACHE_CHECK([for a readline compatible library],
+                 ax_cv_lib_readline, [
+    ORIG_LIBS="$LIBS"
+    for readline_lib in readline edit editline; do
+      for termcap_lib in "" termcap curses ncurses; do
+        if test -z "$termcap_lib"; then
+          TRY_LIB="-l$readline_lib"
+        else
+          TRY_LIB="-l$readline_lib -l$termcap_lib"
+        fi
+        LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS $TRY_LIB"
+        AC_TRY_LINK_FUNC(readline, ax_cv_lib_readline="$TRY_LIB")
+        if test -n "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
+          break
+        fi
+      done
+      if test -n "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
+        break
+      fi
+    done
+    if test -z "$ax_cv_lib_readline"; then
+      ax_cv_lib_readline="no"
+    fi
+    LIBS="$ORIG_LIBS"
+  ])
+
+  if test "$ax_cv_lib_readline" != "no"; then
+    LIBS="$LIBS $ax_cv_lib_readline"
+    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBREADLINE, 1,
+              [Define if you have a readline compatible library])
+    AC_CHECK_HEADERS(readline.h readline/readline.h)
+    AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether readline supports history],
+                   ax_cv_lib_readline_history, [
+      ax_cv_lib_readline_history="no"
+      AC_TRY_LINK_FUNC(add_history, ax_cv_lib_readline_history="yes")
+    ])
+    if test "$ax_cv_lib_readline_history" = "yes"; then
+      AC_DEFINE(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY, 1,
+                [Define if your readline library has \`add_history'])
+      AC_CHECK_HEADERS(history.h readline/history.h)
+    fi
+  fi
+])dnl