diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a9319e323..891088789 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@ if(UNAME)
   set(TMP_BUILDNAME "${osname}-${osrel}-${cpu}")
 endif()
 
+find_program(GETFATTR NAMES getfattr)
+if(GETFATTR)
+  set(HAVE_GETFATTR TRUE)
+endif()
+
 # Define some Platforms
 if(osname MATCHES "CYGWIN.*")
   set(ISCYGWIN yes)
diff --git a/config.h.cmake.in b/config.h.cmake.in
index 4193b071a..fe7dabcdf 100644
--- a/config.h.cmake.in
+++ b/config.h.cmake.in
@@ -373,6 +373,9 @@ are set when opening a binary file on Windows. */
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <ctype.h> header file. */
 #cmakedefine HAVE_CTYPE_H 1
 
+/* Define to 1 if you have the getfattr command line utility. */
+#cmakedefine HAVE_GETFATTR 1
+
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <sys/xattr.h> header file. */
 #cmakedefine HAVE_SYS_XATTR_H
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 13ca293bd..4f1602450 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ AC_LANG_POP([C])
 if test $have_no_strict_aliasing = no; then
    CFLAGS=$SAVE_CFLAGS
 fi
+
+## 
+# Check to see if we have getfattr
+##
+AC_CHECK_PROGS([HAVE_GETFATTR], [getfattr])
+
 ##
 # Some files need to exist in build directories
 # that do not correspond to their source directory, or
diff --git a/libdispatch/dinfermodel.c b/libdispatch/dinfermodel.c
index a68e222d8..a381ee008 100644
--- a/libdispatch/dinfermodel.c
+++ b/libdispatch/dinfermodel.c
@@ -1648,16 +1648,22 @@ fprintf(stderr,"@@@ %s=|%s|\n",p,xvalue);
 	    }
         }
 #else /*!HAVE_SYS_XATTR_H*/
+
+#ifdef HAVE_GETFATTR
 	{
 	    FILE *fp;
 	    char cmd[4096];
 	    memset(cmd,0,sizeof(cmd));
-            snprintf(cmd,sizeof(cmd),"getfattr %s | grep -c '.daos'",path);
-            if((fp = popen(cmd, "r")) != NULL) {
-                fscanf(fp, "%d", &rc);
-                pclose(fp);
+        snprintf(cmd,sizeof(cmd),"getfattr %s | grep -c '.daos'",path);
+        if((fp = popen(cmd, "r")) != NULL) {
+               fscanf(fp, "%d", &rc);
+               pclose(fp);
 	    }
-        }
+    }
+#else /*!HAVE_GETFATTR*/
+    /* We just can't test for DAOS container.*/
+    stat = 0;
+#endif /*HAVE_GETFATTR*/
 #endif /*HAVE_SYS_XATTR_H*/
     }
     /* Test for DAOS container */