diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 0b23397c..378c29b6 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -301,12 +301,17 @@ def configure(conf):
 
 	# set _FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 for filesystems with 64-bit inodes
 	if conf.env.DEST_OS != 'win32' and conf.env.DEST_SIZEOF_VOID_P == 4:
-		file_offset_bits_usable = conf.check_cc(fragment='''#define _FILE_OFFSET_BITS 64
-		#include <features.h>
-		#ifndef __USE_FILE_OFFSET64
-		#error
-		#endif
-		int main(void){ return 0; }''',
+		# check was borrowed from libarchive source code
+		file_offset_bits_usable = conf.check_cc(fragment='''
+#define _FILE_OFFSET_BITS 64
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#define KB ((off_t)1024)
+#define MB ((off_t)1024 * KB)
+#define GB ((off_t)1024 * MB)
+#define TB ((off_t)1024 * GB)
+int t2[(((64 * GB -1) % 671088649) == 268434537)
+       && (((TB - (64 * GB -1) + 255) % 1792151290) == 305159546)? 1: -1];
+int main(void) { return 0; }''',
 		msg='Checking if _FILE_OFFSET_BITS can be defined to 64', mandatory=False)
 		if file_offset_bits_usable:
 			conf.define('_FILE_OFFSET_BITS', 64)