diff --git a/ax_init_standard_project.m4 b/ax_init_standard_project.m4
index b49e82e..6dec56e 100644
--- a/ax_init_standard_project.m4
+++ b/ax_init_standard_project.m4
@@ -696,3 +696,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_CHECK_VALID_LD_FLAG], [
   AC_SUBST(LDFLAGS)
   AC_MSG_RESULT([$newflag in $LDFLAGS])
 ])
+
+# Check if a package exists in the current distribution, if yes, require it
+# in debian/control.in append @DEB_DEPEND_IFEXISTS@ to Build-Depends
+#  - parameter:
+#     $1 = package name
+AC_DEFUN([AX_DEB_DEPEND_IFEXISTS], [
+  pkg=$1
+  if test -n "$(apt-cache policy -q ${pkg} 2> /dev/null)"; then
+     DEB_DEPEND_IFEXISTS+=", ${pkg}"
+  fi
+  AC_SUBST(DEB_DEPEND_IFEXISTS)
+])
diff --git a/resolve-debbuilddeps.sh b/resolve-debbuilddeps.sh
index 92a1b67..fe44d0d 100755
--- a/resolve-debbuilddeps.sh
+++ b/resolve-debbuilddeps.sh
@@ -12,22 +12,40 @@
 
 SCHROOTNAME="$1"
 
+function install() {
+    if test -n "${SCHROOTNAME}"; then
+        if schroot -c "${SCHROOTNAME}" -u root -d / -- apt-get -y install $*; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+    else
+        if apt-get -y install $*; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+    fi
+}
+
+TO_INSTALL=
+
 if test -e debian/control.in -a ! -e debian/control; then
-    sed 's,@[^@]*@, dummytext,g' debian/control.in > debian/control
+    for f in $(sed -n 's, *AX_DEB_DEPEND_IFEXISTS(\([^)]*\)).*,\1,p' configure.ac); do
+        if test -n "$(apt-cache policy -q ${f})" && ! dpkg -l "${f}"; then
+            TO_INSTALL+=" ${f}"
+        fi
+    done
     trap "rm debian/control" INT TERM EXIT
+    sed 's,@DEB_DEPEND_IFEXISTS@,,g' debian/control.in | \
+        sed 's,@[^@]*@, dummytext,g' > debian/control
 fi
 
 if test -n "${SCHROOTNAME}"; then
-  schroot -c "${SCHROOTNAME}" -u root -d / -- apt-get install -y dpkg-dev
+  schroot -c "${SCHROOTNAME}" -u root -d / -- apt-get -y install dpkg-dev
   DEPS=$(schroot -c "${SCHROOTNAME}" -- dpkg-checkbuilddeps 2>&1 || true)
 else
-  apt-get install -y dpkg-dev
-  apt-get update
+  apt-get -y install dpkg-dev
   DEPS=$(dpkg-checkbuilddeps 2>&1 || true)
 fi
 DEPS=$(echo "$DEPS" | sed -n '/Unmet build dependencies/ { s,.*Unmet build dependencies: ,,g; s, ([^)]*),,g; s, *| *,|,g; p}')
 
-TO_INSTALL=
 for pa in ${DEPS}; do
     if test ${pa//|/} = ${pa}; then
         TO_INSTALL+=" ${pa}"
@@ -35,16 +53,10 @@ for pa in ${DEPS}; do
     fi
     success=0
     for p in ${pa//|/ }; do
-        if test -n "${SCHROOTNAME}"; then
-            if schroot -c "${SCHROOTNAME}" -u root -d / -- apt-get -y install ${p}; then
-                success=1
-                break;
-            fi
-        else
-            if apt-get -y install ${p}; then
-                success=1
-                break;
-            fi
+        if install ${TO_INSTALL} ${p}; then
+            TO_INSTALL+=" ${p}"
+            success=1
+            break
         fi
     done
     if test ${success} -eq 0; then
@@ -53,18 +65,8 @@ for pa in ${DEPS}; do
     fi
 done
 
-success=0
-if test -n "${SCHROOTNAME}"; then
-    if schroot -c "${SCHROOTNAME}" -u root -d / -- apt-get -y install ${TO_INSTALL}; then
-        success=1
-    fi
-else
-    if apt-get -y install ${TO_INSTALL}; then
-        success=1
-    fi
-fi
-if test ${success} -eq 0; then
-    echo "**** Error: Installation Failed: ${pa}"
+if test -n "${TO_INSTALL}" && ! install ${TO_INSTALL}; then
+    echo "**** Error: Installation Failed: ${TO_INSTALL}"
     exit 1
 fi