diff --git a/builds/posix/Makefile.in b/builds/posix/Makefile.in
index 837af8ab2d..bd6fc1a7c6 100644
--- a/builds/posix/Makefile.in
+++ b/builds/posix/Makefile.in
@@ -670,6 +670,11 @@ $(INCLUDE_DEST)/ib_util.h : $(SRC_OtherDistribHeaders)
 	mkdir -p $(INCLUDE_DEST)
 	$(CP) $^ $(INCLUDE_DEST)/
 
+ifeq ($(SYSTEM_BOOST_FLG),Y)
+$(INCLUDE_DEST)/firebird/Message.h : $(SRC_ROOT)/include/firebird/Message.h
+	sed 's,^#include "\./impl/boost/\(.\+\)",#include <boost/\1>,; s/\bFB_BOOST_PP_/BOOST_PP_/g' $< > $@
+endif
+
 $(INCLUDE_DEST)/firebird/%: $(SRC_ROOT)/include/firebird/%
 	mkdir -p $(@D)
 	$(CP) $< $@
diff --git a/builds/posix/make.defaults b/builds/posix/make.defaults
index 2e5ba29d36..0957925584 100755
--- a/builds/posix/make.defaults
+++ b/builds/posix/make.defaults
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ IsCross=@IS_CROSS@
 TOMMATH_BUILD_FLG=@TOMMATH_BUILD@
 TOMCRYPT_BUILD_FLG=@TOMCRYPT_BUILD@
 RE2_BUILD_FLG=@RE2_BUILD@
+SYSTEM_BOOST_FLG=@SYSTEM_BOOST@
 
 FB_BUILD=$(GEN_ROOT)/$(TARGET)/firebird
 ifeq ($(IsCross), Y)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3ab8eb0bc4..5dac301374 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -560,6 +560,12 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(system-re2,
   [RE2_BUILD=N])
 AC_SUBST(RE2_BUILD)
 
+SYSTEM_BOOST=N
+AC_ARG_WITH(system-boost,
+  [  --with-system-boost     use system-wide boost library instead of embedded copy],
+  [SYSTEM_BOOST=Y])
+AC_SUBST(SYSTEM_BOOST)
+
 dnl Avoid dumb '-g -O2' autoconf's default
 dnl Debugging information and optimization flags should be set in prefix.$platform file
 dnl Should be replaced with AC_PROG_GCC_DEFAULT_FLAGS() when available
@@ -616,6 +622,7 @@ if test "$LSB_FLG" = "Y"; then
   AC_SUBST(TOMMATH_BUILD, Y)
   AC_SUBST(TOMCRYPT_BUILD, Y)
   AC_SUBST(RE2_BUILD, Y)
+  AC_SUBST(SYSTEM_BOOST, N)
   AC_PATH_PROG(CC, lsbcc, "", [$PATH$PATH_SEPARATOR/opt/lsb/bin$PATH_SEPARATOR])
   AC_PATH_PROG(CXX, lsbc++, "", [$PATH$PATH_SEPARATOR/opt/lsb/bin$PATH_SEPARATOR])
   if test "x$CC" = "x" || test "x$CXX" = "x" ; then