diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 93fcf3bc8d..13641cea47 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -306,6 +306,46 @@ PDWTAGS = \
 	  echo 'WARNING: install the dwarves package to get pdwtags' >&2; \
 	fi
 
+ALL_ELF_LIBS = $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt.so
+if WITH_DRIVER_MODULES
+if WITH_QEMU
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_qemu.so
+endif
+if WITH_LXC
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_lxc.so
+endif
+if WITH_UML
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_uml.so
+endif
+if WITH_XEN
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_xen.so
+endif
+if WITH_LIBXL
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_libxl.so
+endif
+if WITH_NETCF
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_interface.so
+endif
+if WITH_NETWORK
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_network.so
+endif
+if WITH_NODE_DEVICES
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_nodedev.so
+endif
+if WITH_NWFILTER
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_nwfilter.so
+endif
+if WITH_SECRETS
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_secret.so
+endif
+if WITH_STORAGE
+ALL_ELF_LIBS += $(builddir)/.libs/libvirt_driver_storage.so
+endif
+endif
+
+check-symfile: libvirt.syms $(ALL_ELF_LIBS:%.so=%.la)
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(PERL) $(srcdir)/check-symfile.pl libvirt.syms $(ALL_ELF_LIBS)
+
 PROTOCOL_STRUCTS = \
 	$(srcdir)/remote_protocol-structs \
 	$(srcdir)/qemu_protocol-structs \
@@ -328,7 +368,7 @@ else !WITH_REMOTE
 check-protocol:
 endif
 EXTRA_DIST += $(PROTOCOL_STRUCTS)
-check-local: check-protocol
+check-local: check-protocol check-symfile
 .PHONY: check-protocol $(PROTOCOL_STRUCTS:structs=struct)
 
 # Mock driver, covering domains, storage, networks, etc
diff --git a/src/check-symfile.pl b/src/check-symfile.pl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..19ffec5587
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/check-symfile.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl
+
+die "syntax: $0 SYMFILE ELFLIB(S)" unless int(@ARGV) >= 2;
+
+my $symfile = shift @ARGV;
+my @elflibs = @ARGV;
+
+my @wantsyms;
+my %gotsyms;
+
+# Skip on non-linux
+if ($^O ne "linux") {
+    return 77; # Automake's skip code
+}
+
+open SYMFILE, $symfile or die "cannot read $symfile: $!";
+
+while (<SYMFILE>) {
+    next if /{/;
+    next if /}/;
+    next if /global:/;
+    next if /local:/;
+    next if /^\s*$/;
+    next if /^\s*#/;
+    next if /\*/;
+
+    die "malformed line $_" unless /^\s*(\S+);$/;
+
+    push @wantsyms, $1;
+}
+close SYMFILE;
+
+foreach my $elflib (@elflibs) {
+    open NM, "-|", "nm", $elflib or die "cannot run 'nm $elflib': $!";
+
+    while (<NM>) {
+	next unless /^\S+\s(?:T|D)\s(\S+)\s*$/;
+
+	$gotsyms{$1} = 1;
+    }
+
+    close NM;
+}
+
+my $ret = 0;
+
+foreach my $sym (@wantsyms) {
+    next if exists $gotsyms{$sym};
+
+    print STDERR "Expected symbol $sym is not in ELF library\n";
+    $ret = 1;
+}
+
+exit($ret);