diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 412a3f014..6a80c2a92 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -908,38 +908,62 @@ fi
 dnl Libetpan
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to use libetpan])
 if test x"$enable_libetpan" = xyes; then
-	AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
-	libetpan_result=no
-	AC_PATH_PROG(libetpanconfig, [libetpan-config])
-	if test "x$libetpanconfig" != "x"; then
-	  CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS `$libetpanconfig --cflags 2>/dev/null`"
-	  AC_CHECK_HEADER(libetpan/libetpan.h, [libetpan_result=yes])
-	  if test "x$libetpan_result" = "xyes"; then
-	    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether libetpan-config hints compiles and links fine])
-	    LIBS="$LIBS `$libetpanconfig --libs 2>/dev/null`"
-	    AC_TRY_LINK([#include <libetpan/dbstorage.h>], [db_mailstorage_init(NULL, NULL);], [libetpan_result=yes], [libetpan_result=no])
-	    AC_MSG_RESULT([$libetpan_result])
-	  fi
-	fi
-	if test "x$libetpan_result" = "xyes"; then
-	   LIBETPAN_CPPFLAGS="`$libetpanconfig --cflags`"
-	   LIBETPAN_LIBS="`$libetpanconfig --libs`"
-	   LIBETPAN_VERSION=`$libetpanconfig --version | $AWK -F. '{printf "%d", ($1 * 100) + $2}'`
-	   if test "$LIBETPAN_VERSION" -lt "57"; then
-		AC_MSG_RESULT([*** Claws Mail requires libetpan 0.57 or newer. See http://www.etpan.org/])
-		AC_MSG_RESULT([*** You can use --disable-libetpan if you don't need IMAP4 and/or NNTP support.])
+    AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+
+    libetpan_config=no
+    libetpan_result=no
+    libetpan_versiontype=0
+
+    # since 1.9.4, libetpan uses pkg-config
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBETPAN], [libetpan >= 1.9.4],
+    [
+        LIBETPAN_VERSION=`pkg-config --modversion | $AWK -F. '{printf "%d", ($1 * 10000) + ($2 * 100) + $3}'`
+        libetpan_config=yes
+    ],
+    [
+        # before 1.9.4, libetpan uses its own libetpan-config script
+        AC_PATH_PROG(libetpanconfig, [libetpan-config])
+        if test "x$libetpanconfig" != "x"; then
+            LIBETPAN_CPPFLAGS="`$libetpanconfig --cflags`"
+            LIBETPAN_LIBS="`$libetpanconfig --libs`"
+            # support libetpan version like x.x and x.x.x
+            libetpan_versiontype=`$libetpanconfig --version | tr -dc . | wc -c`
+            if test $libetpan_versiontype -eq 1; then
+                LIBETPAN_VERSION=`$libetpanconfig --version | $AWK -F. '{printf "%d", ($1 * 100) + $2}'`
+            else
+                LIBETPAN_VERSION=`$libetpanconfig --version | $AWK -F. '{printf "%d", ($1 * 10000) + ($2 * 100) + $3}'`
+            fi
+            libetpan_config=yes
+        fi
+    ])
+    if test "x$libetpan_config" = "xyes"; then
+        CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $LIBETPAN_FLAGS"
+        AC_CHECK_HEADER(libetpan/libetpan.h, [libetpan_result=yes])
+        if test "x$libetpan_result" = "xyes"; then
+            AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether libetpan-config hints compiles and links fine])
+            LIBS="$LIBS $LIBETPAN_LIBS"
+            AC_TRY_LINK([#include <libetpan/dbstorage.h>], [db_mailstorage_init(NULL, NULL);], [libetpan_result=yes], [libetpan_result=no])
+            AC_MSG_RESULT([$libetpan_result])
+        fi
+    fi
+    if test "x$libetpan_result" = "xyes"; then
+        if test $libetpan_versiontype -eq 1; then
+            if test "$LIBETPAN_VERSION" -lt "57"; then
+                AC_MSG_RESULT([*** Claws Mail requires libetpan 0.57 or newer. See http://www.etpan.org/])
+                AC_MSG_RESULT([*** You can use --disable-libetpan if you don't need IMAP4 and/or NNTP support.])
                 AC_MSG_ERROR([libetpan 0.57 not found])
-	   fi
-	   AC_SUBST(LIBETPAN_FLAGS)
-	   AC_SUBST(LIBETPAN_LIBS)
-	   AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBETPAN, 1, Define if you want IMAP and/or NNTP support.)
-	else
-	   AC_MSG_RESULT([*** Claws Mail requires libetpan 0.57 or newer. See http://www.etpan.org/ ])
-	   AC_MSG_RESULT([*** You can use --disable-libetpan if you don't need IMAP4 and/or NNTP support.])
-           AC_MSG_ERROR([libetpan 0.57 not found])
-	fi
+            fi
+        fi
+        AC_SUBST(LIBETPAN_FLAGS)
+        AC_SUBST(LIBETPAN_LIBS)
+        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBETPAN, 1, Define if you want IMAP and/or NNit TP support.)
+    else
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([*** Claws Mail requires libetpan 0.57 or newer. See http://www.etpan.org/ ])
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([*** You can use --disable-libetpan if you don't need IMAP4 and/or NNTP support.])
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([libetpan 0.57 not found])
+    fi
 else
-	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+    AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(CLAWS_LIBETPAN, test "x$libetpan_result" = "xyes")