diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index f70bd16fc6..f3d8de8679 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
 ./config/linux-gnuaout
 ./config/linux-gnulibc1
 ./config/linux-gnulibc2
+./config/powerpc-apple
 ./config/powerpc-ibm-aix4.x
 ./config/powerpc-ibm-aix5.x
 ./config/rs6000-ibm-aix4.x
diff --git a/config/powerpc-apple b/config/powerpc-apple
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c8d0ebecf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/powerpc-apple
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#							-*- shell-script -*-
+# This file is part of the HDF5 build script.  It is processed shortly
+# after configure starts and defines, among other things, flags for
+# the various compile modes.
+#
+# See BlankForm in this directory for details.
+
+# The default compiler is `gcc'
+if test "X-" = "X-$CC"; then
+    CC=gcc
+    CC_BASENAME=gcc
+fi
+
+# Architecture-specific flags
+ARCH=
+
+# Add "_POSIX_C_SOURCE" define to cpp flags, to quiet warnings
+#       from /usr/include/sys/cdefs.h
+#CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -D_POSIX_C_SOURCE=1" 
+
+# Omit frame pointer for optimized code?
+NOFP=${NOFP:=-fomit-frame-pointer}
+
+# Figure out compiler flags
+. $srcdir/config/gnu-flags
+
+# Special setup to use pthread support if enable-threadsafe is on.
+# Works with static executable only.
+#if test "X-" != "X-$enable_threadsafe"; then
+#    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -pthread -D_THREAD_SAFE" 
+#    LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -pthread"
+#    LIBS="$LIBS -lcipher"
+#    enable_static_exec=yes
+#fi
+
+# The default Fortran 90 compiler
+
+#
+# HDF5 integers
+#
+# 	R_LARGE is the number of digits for the bigest integer supported.
+#	R_INTEGER is the number of digits in INTEGER
+#
+# (for the AIX architechture)
+#
+R_LARGE=18
+R_INTEGER=9
+HSIZE_T='SELECTED_INT_KIND(R_LARGE)'
+HSSIZE_T='SELECTED_INT_KIND(R_LARGE)'
+HID_T='SELECTED_INT_KIND(R_INTEGER)'
+SIZE_T='SELECTED_INT_KIND(R_INTEGER)'
+OBJECT_NAMELEN_DEFAULT_F=-1
+
+if test "X-" = "X-$F9X"; then
+  if test "X-$enable_parallel" = "X-yes"; then
+    F9X=mpxlf_r
+  else
+    F9X=xlf
+  fi
+fi
+
+if test "X-" = "X-$f9x_flags_set"; then
+    F9XSUFFIXFLAG="-qsuffix=f=f90 -qfree=f90"
+    FFLAGS="$FFLAGS -static -O ${F9XSUFFIXFLAG} -qmoddir=./ "
+    FSEARCH_DIRS="-I./ -I../src"
+    DEBUG_FFLAGS="-O"
+    PROD_FFLAGS="-O"
+    PROFILE_FFLAGS="-O"
+    f9x_flags_set=yes
+fi
diff --git a/fortran/src/H5f90i.h b/fortran/src/H5f90i.h
index 6ded761dfe..9eecb7ffba 100644
--- a/fortran/src/H5f90i.h
+++ b/fortran/src/H5f90i.h
@@ -50,6 +50,21 @@ typedef float             real_f;
 #define _fcdtocp(desc) (desc)
 #endif /*IBM6000*/
 
+/* MAC APPLE definitions with IBM XL compiler*/
+#if defined(__APPLE__)
+typedef char              *_fcd;
+typedef long long         hsize_t_f;
+typedef long long         hssize_t_f;
+typedef int               size_t_f;
+typedef int               int_f;
+typedef int               hid_t_f;
+typedef float             real_f;
+#define FNAME(x) x 
+#define _fcdtocp(desc) (desc)
+
+#endif /*APPLE*/
+
+
 /* LINUX definitions */
 #if (defined(i386) || defined(__i386__)) && (defined(linux) || defined(__linux__))
 
diff --git a/release_docs/RELEASE.txt b/release_docs/RELEASE.txt
index 11872371c7..c84f33074c 100644
--- a/release_docs/RELEASE.txt
+++ b/release_docs/RELEASE.txt
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ New Features
 
 Support for new platforms, languages and compilers.
 =======================================
-
+        HDF5 Fortran APIs are supported on MAC OSX with IBM XL Fortran
+        Compiler version 8.1 Beta. Use "--disable-shared --enable-static"
+        configure flags along with the "--enable-fortran" flag to build
+        Fortran library.
 
 Bug Fixes since HDF5-1.6.0 release
 ==================================
@@ -294,6 +297,7 @@ Platforms Tested
     MAC OS X                      Darwin 6.5
                                   gcc and g++ Apple Computer, Inc. GCC 
                                   version 1161, based on gcc version 3.1
+                                  IBM XL Fortran compiler version 8.1 Beta