diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ea3a6639d..2d39620b2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 2010-08-19  Holger Vogt
  * configure.in: add TCLCYG 
  * autogen.sh:  if --adms is selected, read the section from configure.in
-   and store it in AC_CONFIG_FILES of temporary temp-adms.ac 
+   and store it in AC_CONFIG_FILES of temporary temp-adms.ac. 
+   Testing for availability of awk
  Tested with MINGW, CYGWIN, SUSE Linux, may need more tests on other OSs!  
 
 2010-08-17 Dietmar Warning
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index ba3aa25c3..eb1ce4f77 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ fi
 exit 1
 }
 
+check_awk()
+{
+(awk --version) < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
+	echo
+	echo "You must have awk installed to compile $PROJECT with --adms."
+	exit 1
+        }
+}		
+		
 check_autoconf()
 {
 (autoconf --version) < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
@@ -128,6 +137,8 @@ test $TEST_TYPE $FILE || {
 # only for --adms:
 if test "$ADMS" -eq 1; then
 
+check_awk
+
 #  sed 's/tests\/vbic\/Makefile/tests\/vbic\/Makefile\
 #                src\/spicelib\/devices\/adms\/ekv\/Makefile\
 #               src\/spicelib\/devices\/adms\/hicum0\/Makefile\