diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8deb53aa..1aeb149a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -80,8 +80,16 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(WIRED_STORAGEDIR, "${wired_storagedir}",
 
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(linux/types.h linux/if_alg.h)
 
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS_ONCE(execinfo.h)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(execinfo, backtrace)
+# In maintainer mode: try to build with application backtrace and disable PIE.
+if (test "${USE_MAINTAINER_MODE}" = yes); then
+	AC_SEARCH_LIBS([backtrace], [execinfo],
+		[
+			AC_DEFINE([HAVE_BACKTRACE], [1],
+				[Define to 1 if you have backtrace(3).])
+			CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fno-PIE"
+			LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -no-pie"
+		])
+fi
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([daemon], AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-daemon],
 				[don't install iwd system daemon]),
diff --git a/src/backtrace.c b/src/backtrace.c
index f7732a63..b9e1bbfa 100644
--- a/src/backtrace.c
+++ b/src/backtrace.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <features.h>
 
-#ifdef HAVE_EXECINFO_H
+#ifdef HAVE_BACKTRACE
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
diff --git a/src/backtrace.h b/src/backtrace.h
index 829ba020..51d4efe3 100644
--- a/src/backtrace.h
+++ b/src/backtrace.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  *  Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
  *
  */
-#ifdef HAVE_EXECINFO_H
+#ifdef HAVE_BACKTRACE
 void __iwd_backtrace_init();
 void __iwd_backtrace_print(unsigned int offset);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 8035fa06..e0ccbef2 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (debugopt)
 		l_debug_enable(debugopt);
 
-#ifdef HAVE_EXECINFO_H
+#ifdef HAVE_BACKTRACE
 	__iwd_backtrace_init();
 #endif