diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1a6cd114895b0f0571f18778fb54707e4fd37de6..225796677a706183087283af4463474508a6b979 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -260,8 +260,10 @@ fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVEPARALLELHDF5],[test "$have_parallel_hdf5" = "yes"])
 
 # Check for setaffinity.
-AC_CHECK_FUNC( pthread_setaffinity_np , AC_DEFINE([HAVE_SETAFFINITY],[true],
+AC_CHECK_FUNC(pthread_setaffinity_np, AC_DEFINE([HAVE_SETAFFINITY],[true],
     [Defined if pthread_setaffinity_np exists.]) )
+AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVESETAFFINITY,
+    [test "$ac_cv_func_pthread_setaffinity_np" = "yes"])
 
 # Check for timing functions needed by cycle.h.
 AC_HEADER_TIME
diff --git a/examples/Makefile.am b/examples/Makefile.am
index 38ba3e7dbf5f904709683ae9ba883c83831f2000..d8c38d253f9620c780cffa99f069632aaef3b517 100644
--- a/examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -36,19 +36,26 @@ if HAVEMPI
 bin_PROGRAMS += swift_mpi swift_fixdt_mpi swift_mindt_mpi
 endif
 
+# engine_policy_setaffinity is available?
+if HAVESETAFFINITY
+ENGINE_POLICY_SETAFFINITY=| engine_policy_setaffinity
+else
+ENGINE_POLICY_SETAFFINITY=
+endif
+
 # Sources for swift
 swift_SOURCES = main.c
-swift_CFLAGS = $(MYFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) -DENGINE_POLICY="engine_policy_multistep | engine_policy_keep | engine_policy_setaffinity"
+swift_CFLAGS = $(MYFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) -DENGINE_POLICY="engine_policy_multistep | engine_policy_keep $(ENGINE_POLICY_SETAFFINITY)"
 swift_LDADD =  ../src/.libs/libswiftsim.a $(HDF5_LDFLAGS) $(HDF5_LIBS)
 
 # Sources for swift_fixdt
 swift_fixdt_SOURCES = main.c
-swift_fixdt_CFLAGS = $(MYFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) -DENGINE_POLICY="engine_policy_fixdt | engine_policy_keep | engine_policy_setaffinity"
+swift_fixdt_CFLAGS = $(MYFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) -DENGINE_POLICY="engine_policy_fixdt | engine_policy_keep $(ENGINE_POLICY_SETAFFINITY)"
 swift_fixdt_LDADD =  ../src/.libs/libswiftsim.a $(HDF5_LDFLAGS) $(HDF5_LIBS)
 
 # Sources for swift_mindt
 swift_mindt_SOURCES = main.c
-swift_mindt_CFLAGS = $(MYFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) -DENGINE_POLICY="engine_policy_keep | engine_policy_setaffinity"
+swift_mindt_CFLAGS = $(MYFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS) -DENGINE_POLICY="engine_policy_keep $(ENGINE_POLICY_SETAFFINITY)"
 swift_mindt_LDADD =  ../src/.libs/libswiftsim.a $(HDF5_LDFLAGS) $(HDF5_LIBS)
 
 # Sources for swift_mpi