diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 21d779a4..e3815e53 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3,8 +3,16 @@ ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 EXTRA_DIST = \
   COPYING
 
-SUBDIRS = src/leveldb
-LEVELDB_LIB = src/leveldb/libleveldb.a src/leveldb/libmemenv.a
+LIBLEVELDB = src/leveldb/libleveldb.a
+LIBMEMENV  = src/leveldb/libmemenv.a
+
+# NOTE: This dependency is not strictly necessary, but without it make may try to build both in parallel, which breaks the LevelDB build system in a race
+$(LIBLEVELDB): $(LIBMEMENV)
+
+$(LIBLEVELDB) $(LIBMEMENV):
+	@echo "Building LevelDB ..." && $(MAKE) -C $(@D) $(@F) CXX="$(CXX)" \
+	  CC="$(CC)" PLATFORM=$(TARGET_OS) AR="$(AR)" $(LEVELDB_TARGET_FLAGS) \
+          OPT="$(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS)"
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = twisterd
 
@@ -166,9 +174,9 @@ twisterd_SOURCES = $(LIBTORRENT_SOURCES) $(BITCOIN_TWISTER_SOURCES)
 
 twisterd_LDFLAGS = @OPENSSL_LDFLAGS@ @DB_CXX_LDFLAGS@
 
-twisterd_DEPENDENCIES = $(LEVELDB_LIB)
+twisterd_DEPENDENCIES = $(LIBLEVELDB) $(LIBMEMENV)
 
-twisterd_LDADD = $(LEVELDB_LIB) \
+twisterd_LDADD = $(LIBLEVELDB) $(LIBMEMENV) \
     @BOOST_SYSTEM_LIB@ @BOOST_FILESYSTEM_LIB@ @BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_LIB@ @BOOST_THREAD_LIB@ @BOOST_CHRONO_LIB@ @BOOST_LOCALE_LIB@ \
     @BOOST_REGEX_LIB@ @DB_CXX_LIBS@ @OPENSSL_LIBS@
 
@@ -179,3 +187,9 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = -ftemplate-depth-100 -DBOOST_SPIRIT_THREADSAFE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS
     @DEBUGFLAGS@ @OPENSSL_INCLUDES@ @DB_CXX_CPPFLAGS@
 
 AM_LDFLAGS = @OPENSSL_LDFLAGS@
+
+CLEANFILES = $(LIBLEVELDB) $(LIBMEMENV)
+
+clean-local:
+	-$(MAKE) -C src/leveldb clean
+	rm -f src/leveldb/*/*.gcno src/leveldb/helpers/memenv/*.gcno
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9ac392b3..d6634f9a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -51,6 +51,82 @@ AS_ECHO "Initializing Libtool:"
 LT_PREREQ([2.2.6])
 LT_INIT
 
+# host checks from bitcoin's configure.ac
+case $host in
+  *mingw*)
+     TARGET_OS=windows
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([mingwthrd],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([kernel32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([user32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([gdi32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([comdlg32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([winspool],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([winmm],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([shell32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([comctl32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([ole32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([oleaut32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([uuid],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([rpcrt4],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([advapi32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([ws2_32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([mswsock],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([shlwapi],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([iphlpapi],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+     AC_CHECK_LIB([crypt32],      [main],, AC_MSG_ERROR(lib missing))
+
+     CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -D_MT -DWIN32 -D_WINDOWS -DBOOST_THREAD_USE_LIB"
+     LEVELDB_TARGET_FLAGS="TARGET_OS=OS_WINDOWS_CROSSCOMPILE"
+     if test "x$CXXFLAGS_overridden" = "xno"; then
+       CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -w"
+     fi
+     case $host in
+       i?86-*) WINDOWS_BITS=32 ;;
+       x86_64-*) WINDOWS_BITS=64 ;;
+       *) AC_MSG_ERROR("Could not determine win32/win64 for installer") ;;
+     esac
+     AC_SUBST(WINDOWS_BITS)
+     ;;
+  *darwin*)
+     TARGET_OS=darwin
+     LEVELDB_TARGET_FLAGS="TARGET_OS=Darwin"
+     if  test x$cross_compiling != xyes; then
+       BUILD_OS=darwin
+       AC_CHECK_PROG([PORT],port, port)
+       if test x$PORT = xport; then
+         dnl add default macports paths
+         CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -isystem /opt/local/include -I/opt/local/include/db48"
+         LIBS="$LIBS -L/opt/local/lib -L/opt/local/lib/db48"
+       fi
+
+       AC_CHECK_PROG([BREW],brew, brew)
+       if test x$BREW = xbrew; then
+         dnl add default homebrew paths
+         openssl_prefix=`$BREW --prefix openssl`
+         bdb_prefix=`$BREW --prefix berkeley-db4`
+         export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$openssl_prefix/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH"
+         CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I$bdb_prefix/include"
+         LIBS="$LIBS -L$bdb_prefix/lib"
+       fi
+     else
+       case $build_os in
+         *darwin*)
+           BUILD_OS=darwin
+           ;;
+         *)
+           AC_PATH_TOOL([INSTALLNAMETOOL], [install_name_tool], install_name_tool)
+           AC_PATH_TOOL([OTOOL], [otool], otool)
+           AC_PATH_PROGS([GENISOIMAGE], [genisoimage mkisofs],genisoimage)
+           ;;
+       esac
+     fi
+
+     CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -DMAC_OSX"
+     ;;
+   *)
+     ;;
+esac
+
 
 ###############################################################################
 # Checking for needed base libraries
@@ -659,6 +735,7 @@ AS_IF([test "x$enable_shared" = "xyes"],
 AC_SUBST(DEBUGFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INSTALL_PARAMS)
 AC_SUBST(COMPILETIME_OPTIONS)
+AC_SUBST(LEVELDB_TARGET_FLAGS)
 
 
 # Try to guess real svn revision if any, fallback to hardcoded otherwise