diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 13d2d31b974..167cc7124bc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ OVS_CHECK_XENSERVER_VERSION
 OVS_CHECK_GROFF
 OVS_CHECK_GNU_MAKE
 OVS_CHECK_TLS
+OVS_CHECK_ATOMIC_LIBS
 OVS_CHECK_GCC4_ATOMICS
 OVS_CHECK_ATOMIC_ALWAYS_LOCK_FREE(1)
 OVS_CHECK_ATOMIC_ALWAYS_LOCK_FREE(2)
diff --git a/m4/openvswitch.m4 b/m4/openvswitch.m4
index 7c37985687d..55c48ecc5d6 100644
--- a/m4/openvswitch.m4
+++ b/m4/openvswitch.m4
@@ -432,6 +432,12 @@ static thread_local int var;], [return var;])],
      fi
    fi])
 
+dnl OVS_CHECK_ATOMIC_LIBS
+dnl
+dnl Check to see if -latomic is need for GCC atomic built-ins.
+AC_DEFUN([OVS_CHECK_ATOMIC_LIBS],
+   [AC_SEARCH_LIBS([__atomic_load_8], [atomic])])
+
 dnl OVS_CHECK_GCC4_ATOMICS
 dnl
 dnl Checks whether the compiler and linker support GCC 4.0+ atomic built-ins.