diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 28959198d5..53d653a0ee 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -261,6 +261,10 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(dbd-sqlite, AC_HELP_STRING([--with-dbd-sqlite=PATH],
   [prefix of the Perl DBD::SQLite library]),
   perlFlags="$perlFlags -I$withval")
 
+AC_ARG_WITH(www-curl, AC_HELP_STRING([--with-www-curl=PATH],
+  [prefix of the Perl WWW::Curl library]),
+  perlFlags="$perlFlags -I$withval")
+
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether DBD::SQLite works])
 if ! $perl $perlFlags -e 'use DBI; use DBD::SQLite;' 2>&5; then
     AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
@@ -268,6 +272,13 @@ if ! $perl $perlFlags -e 'use DBI; use DBD::SQLite;' 2>&5; then
 fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
   
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether WWW::Curl works])
+if ! $perl $perlFlags -e 'use WWW::Curl;' 2>&5; then
+    AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+    AC_MSG_FAILURE([The Perl module WWW::Curl is missing.])
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+  
 AC_SUBST(perlFlags)
 
 
diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
index 5f20920f3c..f2d48691d4 100644
--- a/release.nix
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ let
           --with-xml-flags=--nonet
           --with-dbi=${perlPackages.DBI}/${perl.libPrefix}
           --with-dbd-sqlite=${perlPackages.DBDSQLite}/${perl.libPrefix}
+          --with-www-curl=${perlPackages.WWWCurl}/${perl.libPrefix}
         '';
 
         postUnpack = ''
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ let
           --disable-init-state
           --with-dbi=${perlPackages.DBI}/${perl.libPrefix}
           --with-dbd-sqlite=${perlPackages.DBDSQLite}/${perl.libPrefix}
+          --with-www-curl=${perlPackages.WWWCurl}/${perl.libPrefix}
           --enable-gc
         '';
 
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@ let
           --disable-init-state
           --with-dbi=${perlPackages.DBI}/${perl.libPrefix}
           --with-dbd-sqlite=${perlPackages.DBDSQLite}/${perl.libPrefix}
+          --with-www-curl=${perlPackages.WWWCurl}/${perl.libPrefix}
         '';
 
         dontInstall = false;