diff --git a/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_failure.rb b/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_failure.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b08dbb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_failure.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+configure do
+  check_c_header "not___found.h"
+end
diff --git a/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_no_fail.rb b/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_no_fail.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c96718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_no_fail.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+configure do
+  check_c_header "not___found.h", fail: false
+end
diff --git a/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_success.rb b/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_success.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55df020
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_tests/configure/check_c_header_success.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+configure do
+  check_c_header "string.h"
+end
diff --git a/lib/rscons/application.rb b/lib/rscons/application.rb
index a6534a9..ce8ee19 100644
--- a/lib/rscons/application.rb
+++ b/lib/rscons/application.rb
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ module Rscons
         if cdc = @script.check_d_compiler
           co.check_d_compiler(cdc)
         end
+        if cchs = @script.check_c_headers
+          cchs.each do |cch|
+            co.check_c_header(*cch)
+          end
+        end
       rescue ConfigureOp::ConfigureFailure
         rv = 1
       end
diff --git a/lib/rscons/configure_op.rb b/lib/rscons/configure_op.rb
index 798dcfc..3977ab7 100644
--- a/lib/rscons/configure_op.rb
+++ b/lib/rscons/configure_op.rb
@@ -98,6 +98,27 @@ module Rscons
       end
     end
 
+    # Check for a C header.
+    def check_c_header(header_name, options = {})
+      $stdout.write("Checking for C header '#{header_name}'... ")
+      File.open("#{@work_dir}/cfgtest.c", "wb") do |fh|
+        fh.puts <<-EOF
+          #include "#{header_name}"
+          int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
+            return 0;
+          }
+        EOF
+      end
+      vars = {
+        "LD" => "${CC}",
+        "_SOURCES" => "#{@work_dir}/cfgtest.c",
+        "_TARGET" => "#{@work_dir}/cfgtest.exe",
+      }
+      command = @env.build_command("${LDCMD}", vars)
+      _, _, status = log_and_test_command(command)
+      common_config_checks(status, options)
+    end
+
     private
 
     # Test a C compiler.
@@ -234,5 +255,31 @@ module Rscons
       end
     end
 
+    # Perform processing common to several configure checks.
+    #
+    # @param status [Process::Status, Integer]
+    #   Process exit code.
+    # @param options [Hash]
+    #   Common check options.
+    # @option options [Boolean] :fail
+    #   Whether to fail configuration if the requested item is not found.
+    # @option options [String] :set_define
+    #   A define to set (in CPPDEFINES) if the requested item is found.
+    def common_config_checks(status, options)
+      if status == 0
+        Ansi.write($stdout, :green, "found\n")
+      else
+        if options.has_key?(:fail) and not options[:fail]
+          Ansi.write($stdout, :yellow, "not found\n")
+        else
+          Ansi.write($stdout, :red, "not found\n")
+          raise ConfigureFailure.new
+        end
+      end
+      if options[:set_define]
+        @env["CPPDEFINES"] << options[:set_define]
+      end
+    end
+
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/build_tests_spec.rb b/spec/build_tests_spec.rb
index 2aadb65..e75b4f9 100644
--- a/spec/build_tests_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/build_tests_spec.rb
@@ -1620,6 +1620,32 @@ EOF
         end
       end
     end
+
+    context "check_c_header" do
+      it "succeeds when the requested header is found" do
+        test_dir "configure"
+        result = run_rscons(rsconsfile: "check_c_header_success.rb", op: "configure")
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        expect(result.status).to eq 0
+        expect(result.stdout).to match /Checking for C header 'string\.h'... found/
+      end
+
+      it "fails when the requested header is not found" do
+        test_dir "configure"
+        result = run_rscons(rsconsfile: "check_c_header_failure.rb", op: "configure")
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        expect(result.status).to_not eq 0
+        expect(result.stdout).to match /Checking for C header 'not___found\.h'... not found/
+      end
+
+      it "succeeds when the requested header is not found but :fail is set to false" do
+        test_dir "configure"
+        result = run_rscons(rsconsfile: "check_c_header_no_fail.rb", op: "configure")
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        expect(result.status).to eq 0
+        expect(result.stdout).to match /Checking for C header 'not___found\.h'... not found/
+      end
+    end
   end
 
 end