diff --git a/cmake/ConfigureChecks.cmake b/cmake/ConfigureChecks.cmake
index 92e98aa00..fe878f817 100644
--- a/cmake/ConfigureChecks.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ConfigureChecks.cmake
@@ -2495,3 +2495,10 @@ endif()
 if(CMAKE_SYSTEM MATCHES Windows)
   set(PY_PLATFORM win32)
 endif()
+
+#Check for tirpc header
+find_path(TIRPC_INCLUDE_PATH rpc.h
+  PATHS "/usr/include/tirpc/rpc")
+if(TIRPC_INCLUDE_PATH)
+  set(TIRPC_INCLUDE_PATH "/usr/include/tirpc")
+endif()
diff --git a/cmake/extensions/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/extensions/CMakeLists.txt
index de42e8b32..c1b26cb69 100644
--- a/cmake/extensions/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/extensions/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -147,7 +147,17 @@ endif()
 # UNIX-only extensions
 add_python_extension(fcntl REQUIRES UNIX SOURCES fcntlmodule.c)
 add_python_extension(grp REQUIRES UNIX SOURCES grpmodule.c)
-add_python_extension(nis REQUIRES UNIX HAVE_LIBNSL SOURCES nismodule.c LIBRARIES ${HAVE_LIBNSL})
+
+if(TIRPC_INCLUDE_PATH) #if rpc.h is provided by libtirpc
+add_python_extension(nis
+  REQUIRES UNIX HAVE_LIBNSL
+  SOURCES nismodule.c
+  LIBRARIES ${HAVE_LIBNSL}
+  INCLUDEDIRS ${TIRPC_INCLUDE_PATH})
+else() #if rpc.h is provided by glibc (as part of SunRPC)
+  add_python_extension(nis REQUIRES UNIX HAVE_LIBNSL SOURCES nismodule.c LIBRARIES ${HAVE_LIBNSL})
+endif()
+
 add_python_extension(posix REQUIRES UNIX BUILTIN SOURCES posixmodule.c)
 add_python_extension(pwd REQUIRES UNIX BUILTIN SOURCES pwdmodule.c) # this is needed to find out the user's home dir if $HOME is not set
 add_python_extension(resource REQUIRES UNIX SOURCES resource.c)