diff --git a/scripts/configure.in b/scripts/configure.in
index 1b4f7cfb..7f76db27 100644
--- a/scripts/configure.in
+++ b/scripts/configure.in
@@ -170,6 +170,15 @@ dnl Check for <sys/time.h>
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(sys/time.h)
 AC_HEADER_TIME
 
+dnl Check for <termio.h>
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS(termio.h)
+
+dnl Check for <termios.h>
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS(termios.h)
+
+dnl Check for <sys/ioctl.h>
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS(sys/ioctl.h)
+
 dnl Check for va_copy
 AC_CACHE_CHECK([for va_copy], ac_cv_c_va_copy,
  AC_TRY_LINK(
diff --git a/utils/magsgtty.h b/utils/magsgtty.h
index 76f7ddf5..298aaf8e 100644
--- a/utils/magsgtty.h
+++ b/utils/magsgtty.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #ifndef	_MAGIC__UTILS__MAGSGTTY_H
 #define _MAGIC__UTILS__MAGSGTTY_H
 
+/* maybe this can be #ifndef HAVE_TERMIO_H */
 #if !defined(SYSV) && !defined(CYGWIN)
 
 # ifdef	ALPHA
@@ -28,15 +29,25 @@
 # undef MIN
 # endif
 
+/* unclear what platform requires this OpenBSD/FreeBSD ? */
 # ifndef COMPAT_43TTY
 # define COMPAT_43TTY
 # endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_IOCTL_H
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#endif
 
-#if defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(EMSCRIPTEN)
+#ifdef HAVE_TERMIOS_H
 #include <termios.h>
 #else
+/* unclear which platform(s) require <sys/ioctl_compat.h> and the structure
+ *  of this file is such that it will try to include it by default, better
+ *  to invert the #if and only select this on the known platforms that need
+ *  it so that <termios.h> goes by default, which exists on MacOSX, Linux, etc..
+ * many possible solutions to make this work by default:
+ *   HAVE_SYS_IOCTL_COMPAT_H ?  HAVE_TERMIOS_H ?  !defined(linux) at top (MaxOSX is BSD type)
+ */
 #include <sys/ioctl_compat.h>
 #endif