diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bebf2b86ca9e75c4ed74123e9f0f861df2495df2..220dd6e8f53ab93ec973ac96a5d7e01b5721eeef 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -456,6 +456,7 @@ AS_IF([test "x$enable_ofi_pool_manager" = "xyes"], [
    dnl Whether doing so creates a performance problem or not is still to be determined
    AX_SUBDIRS_CONFIGURE([deps/libfabric],[[--enable-embedded],[--disable-rxd],[--disable-shm],[--disable-tcp],[--with-kdreg=no],[--enable-debug]],[],[],[])
    AC_MSG_NOTICE([================== done preconfiguring private libfabric library build])
+   AC_DEFINE([LOCAL_LIBFABRIC],[1],[Define if using our own libfabric build])
   ])
 
 
diff --git a/maestro/drc.c b/maestro/drc.c
index 9eed800538d62d5043b1d8d8f2ccfa06c9b630e7..b7ee5c02f38a79ef37245889ce9cf1ebc03f5dbf 100644
--- a/maestro/drc.c
+++ b/maestro/drc.c
@@ -55,8 +55,13 @@
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DRC
 #include <rdmacred.h>
-/* #include <rdma/fi_ext_gni.h> */
-#include <fi_ext_gni.h> /* use uninstalled one */
+
+#ifndef LOCAL_LIBFABRIC
+# include <rdma/fi_ext_gni.h>
+#else
+# include <fi_ext_gni.h> /* use uninstalled one */
+#endif
+
 #else
 
 /* define some placeholders; we want to compile code with dummy