diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4809dc9..d1ea325 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB(expat,XML_ParserCreate,[EXPAT_LIBS="-lexpat"],
 	     [AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't find expat library. Please install expat.])])
 AC_SUBST(EXPAT_LIBS)
 
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(clearenv fdatasync)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(clearenv fdatasync setnetgrent)
 
 if test "x$GCC" = "xyes"; then
   LDFLAGS="-Wl,--as-needed $LDFLAGS"
diff --git a/src/polkit/polkitidentity.c b/src/polkit/polkitidentity.c
index 3aa1f7f..793f17d 100644
--- a/src/polkit/polkitidentity.c
+++ b/src/polkit/polkitidentity.c
@@ -182,7 +182,15 @@ polkit_identity_from_string  (const gchar   *str,
     }
   else if (g_str_has_prefix (str, "unix-netgroup:"))
     {
+#ifndef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
+      g_set_error (error,
+                   POLKIT_ERROR,
+                   POLKIT_ERROR_FAILED,
+                   "Netgroups are not available on this machine ('%s')",
+                   str);
+#else
       identity = polkit_unix_netgroup_new (str + sizeof "unix-netgroup:" - 1);
+#endif
     }
 
   if (identity == NULL && (error != NULL && *error == NULL))
@@ -344,6 +352,14 @@ polkit_identity_new_for_gvariant (GVariant  *variant,
       GVariant *v;
       const char *name;
 
+#ifndef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
+      g_set_error (error,
+                   POLKIT_ERROR,
+                   POLKIT_ERROR_FAILED,
+                   "Netgroups are not available on this machine");
+      goto out;
+#else
+
       v = lookup_asv (details_gvariant, "name", G_VARIANT_TYPE_STRING, error);
       if (v == NULL)
         {
@@ -353,6 +369,7 @@ polkit_identity_new_for_gvariant (GVariant  *variant,
       name = g_variant_get_string (v, NULL);
       ret = polkit_unix_netgroup_new (name);
       g_variant_unref (v);
+#endif
     }
   else
     {
diff --git a/src/polkit/polkitunixnetgroup.c b/src/polkit/polkitunixnetgroup.c
index 8a2b369..83f8d4a 100644
--- a/src/polkit/polkitunixnetgroup.c
+++ b/src/polkit/polkitunixnetgroup.c
@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ polkit_unix_netgroup_set_name (PolkitUnixNetgroup *group,
 PolkitIdentity *
 polkit_unix_netgroup_new (const gchar *name)
 {
+#ifndef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
+  g_assert_not_reached();
+#endif
   g_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, NULL);
   return POLKIT_IDENTITY (g_object_new (POLKIT_TYPE_UNIX_NETGROUP,
                                        "name", name,
diff --git a/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendinteractiveauthority.c b/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendinteractiveauthority.c
index 056d9a8..36c2f3d 100644
--- a/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendinteractiveauthority.c
+++ b/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendinteractiveauthority.c
@@ -2233,25 +2233,26 @@ get_users_in_net_group (PolkitIdentity                    *group,
   GList *ret;
 
   ret = NULL;
+#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
   name = polkit_unix_netgroup_get_name (POLKIT_UNIX_NETGROUP (group));
 
-#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT_RETURN
+# ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT_RETURN
   if (setnetgrent (name) == 0)
     {
       g_warning ("Error looking up net group with name %s: %s", name, g_strerror (errno));
       goto out;
     }
-#else
+# else
   setnetgrent (name);
-#endif
+# endif /* HAVE_SETNETGRENT_RETURN */
 
   for (;;)
     {
-#if defined(HAVE_NETBSD) || defined(HAVE_OPENBSD)
+# if defined(HAVE_NETBSD) || defined(HAVE_OPENBSD)
       const char *hostname, *username, *domainname;
-#else
+# else
       char *hostname, *username, *domainname;
-#endif
+# endif /* defined(HAVE_NETBSD) || defined(HAVE_OPENBSD) */
       PolkitIdentity *user;
       GError *error = NULL;
 
@@ -2282,6 +2283,7 @@ get_users_in_net_group (PolkitIdentity                    *group,
 
  out:
   endnetgrent ();
+#endif /* HAVE_SETNETGRENT */
   return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendjsauthority.cpp b/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendjsauthority.cpp
index 1d91103..366cbdf 100644
--- a/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendjsauthority.cpp
+++ b/src/polkitbackend/polkitbackendjsauthority.cpp
@@ -1519,6 +1519,7 @@ js_polkit_user_is_in_netgroup (JSContext  *cx,
 
   JS::CallArgs args = JS::CallArgsFromVp (argc, vp);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
   JS::RootedString usrstr (authority->priv->cx);
   usrstr = args[0].toString();
   user = JS_EncodeStringToUTF8 (cx, usrstr);
@@ -1533,6 +1534,7 @@ js_polkit_user_is_in_netgroup (JSContext  *cx,
     {
       is_in_netgroup =  true;
     }
+#endif
 
   ret = true;
 
diff --git a/test/polkit/polkitidentitytest.c b/test/polkit/polkitidentitytest.c
index e91967b..e829aaa 100644
--- a/test/polkit/polkitidentitytest.c
+++ b/test/polkit/polkitidentitytest.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  * Author: Nikki VonHollen <vonhollen@google.com>
  */
 
+#include "config.h"
 #include "glib.h"
 #include <polkit/polkit.h>
 #include <polkit/polkitprivate.h>
@@ -145,11 +146,15 @@ struct ComparisonTestData comparison_test_data [] = {
   {"unix-group:root", "unix-group:jane", FALSE},
   {"unix-group:jane", "unix-group:jane", TRUE},
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
   {"unix-netgroup:foo", "unix-netgroup:foo", TRUE},
   {"unix-netgroup:foo", "unix-netgroup:bar", FALSE},
+#endif
 
   {"unix-user:root", "unix-group:root", FALSE},
+#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
   {"unix-user:jane", "unix-netgroup:foo", FALSE},
+#endif
 
   {NULL},
 };
@@ -181,11 +186,13 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   g_test_add_data_func ("/PolkitIdentity/group_string_2", "unix-group:jane", test_string);
   g_test_add_data_func ("/PolkitIdentity/group_string_3", "unix-group:users", test_string);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
   g_test_add_data_func ("/PolkitIdentity/netgroup_string", "unix-netgroup:foo", test_string);
+  g_test_add_data_func ("/PolkitIdentity/netgroup_gvariant", "unix-netgroup:foo", test_gvariant);
+#endif
 
   g_test_add_data_func ("/PolkitIdentity/user_gvariant", "unix-user:root", test_gvariant);
   g_test_add_data_func ("/PolkitIdentity/group_gvariant", "unix-group:root", test_gvariant);
-  g_test_add_data_func ("/PolkitIdentity/netgroup_gvariant", "unix-netgroup:foo", test_gvariant);
 
   add_comparison_tests ();
 
diff --git a/test/polkit/polkitunixnetgrouptest.c b/test/polkit/polkitunixnetgrouptest.c
index 3701ba1..e3352eb 100644
--- a/test/polkit/polkitunixnetgrouptest.c
+++ b/test/polkit/polkitunixnetgrouptest.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  * Author: Nikki VonHollen <vonhollen@google.com>
  */
 
+#include "config.h"
 #include "glib.h"
 #include <polkit/polkit.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -69,7 +70,9 @@ int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
   g_test_init (&argc, &argv, NULL);
+#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
   g_test_add_func ("/PolkitUnixNetgroup/new", test_new);
   g_test_add_func ("/PolkitUnixNetgroup/set_name", test_set_name);
+#endif
   return g_test_run ();
 }
diff --git a/test/polkitbackend/test-polkitbackendjsauthority.c b/test/polkitbackend/test-polkitbackendjsauthority.c
index 71aad23..fdd28f3 100644
--- a/test/polkitbackend/test-polkitbackendjsauthority.c
+++ b/test/polkitbackend/test-polkitbackendjsauthority.c
@@ -137,12 +137,14 @@ test_get_admin_identities (void)
         "unix-group:users"
       }
     },
+#ifdef HAVE_SETNETGRENT
     {
       "net.company.action3",
       {
         "unix-netgroup:foo"
       }
     },
+#endif
   };
   guint n;
 
