diff --git a/cmake/BALLConfiguration.cmake b/cmake/BALLConfiguration.cmake
index 1e5a5dc328..b565c5cf77 100644
--- a/cmake/BALLConfiguration.cmake
+++ b/cmake/BALLConfiguration.cmake
@@ -101,10 +101,8 @@ INCLUDE(cmake/BALLConfigTypes.cmake)
 
 
 # Header and Compile checks
-IF(NOT APPLE)
-	SET(CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS "${CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS} ${BALL_PROJECT_COMPILE_FLAGS}")
-	SET(CMAKE_REQUIRED_DEFINITIONS "${CMAKE_REQUIRED_DEFINITIONS} ${BALL_PROJECT_COMPILE_DEFNS}")
-ENDIF()
+SET(CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS "${CMAKE_REQUIRED_FLAGS} ${BALL_PROJECT_COMPILE_FLAGS}")
+SET(CMAKE_REQUIRED_DEFINITIONS "${CMAKE_REQUIRED_DEFINITIONS} ${BALL_PROJECT_COMPILE_DEFNS}")
 
 ## system headers:
 CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE_CXX("unistd.h"  BALL_HAS_UNISTD_H)
diff --git a/cmake/FindXDR.cmake b/cmake/FindXDR.cmake
index 0760ea669f..f6c49f3da8 100644
--- a/cmake/FindXDR.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindXDR.cmake
@@ -2,113 +2,124 @@
 #
 # Once run this will define:
 #
-# XDR_FOUND					= system has XDR lib
+# XDR_FOUND	 = system has XDR lib
 #
-# XDR_LIBRARIES			= full path to the libraries, if required
+# XDR_LIBRARIES	 = full path to the libraries, if required
 #
 
-INCLUDE(CheckIncludeFileCXX)
+
 INCLUDE(CheckCXXSourceCompiles)
-INCLUDE(CheckFunctionExists)
-INCLUDE(CheckTypeSize)
+INCLUDE(CheckIncludeFileCXX)
 INCLUDE(CheckLibraryExists)
 
-## First try to find the required header files (rpc/types.h, rpc/xdr.h)
 
-#check for the XDR functions: their interface and the libraries they're hidden in.
-CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE_CXX(rpc/types.h XDR_HAS_RPC_TYPES_H)
-IF(NOT XDR_HAS_RPC_TYPES_H)
-    MESSAGE(STATUS "Cannot find RPC headers (rpc/types.h). Persistence will be disabled!")
-ELSE()
-	CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES("#include <rpc/types.h>
-		#include <rpc/xdr.h>
-
-		int main(int /*argc*/, char** /*argv*/)
-		{
-			return 0;
-		}" XDR_HAS_RPC_XDR_H)
-	IF(NOT XDR_HAS_RPC_XDR_H)
-    MESSAGE(WARNING "Cannot find RPC headers (rpc/xdr.h). Persistence will be disabled!")
-	ENDIF()
-ENDIF()
+SET(XDR_TEST_HEADER "
+	#include<rpc/rpc.h>
+	#include<rpc/xdr.h>
 
-IF (XDR_HAS_RPC_TYPES_H AND XDR_HAS_RPC_XDR_H)
-	## Now let's see if we need an extra lib to compile it
-	SET(XDR_INT_FOUND)
-	CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS(xdr_int XDR_INT_FOUND)
-	IF (NOT XDR_INT_FOUND)
-		FOREACH(lib nsl oncrpc)
-			## Try to find the corresponding lib
-			SET(XDR_INT_LIBRARY)
-			FIND_LIBRARY(XDR_INT_LIBRARY ${lib})
-
-			IF (XDR_INT_LIBRARY)
-				CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(${XDR_INT_LIBRARY} xdr_int "" XDR_INT_SYMBOL_FOUND)
-			ENDIF()
-			IF (XDR_INT_SYMBOL_FOUND)
-				SET(XDR_LIBRARIES ${XDR_INT_LIBRARY})
-				## try to find the debug version as well
-				FIND_LIBRARY(XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D ${lib}d)
-
-				IF (XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D)
-					CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(${XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D} xdr_int "" XDR_INT_SYMBOL_D_FOUND)
-					IF (XDR_INT_SYMBOL_D_FOUND)
-						BALL_COMBINE_LIBS(XDR_LIBRARIES ${XDR_LIBRARIES} ${XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D})	
-					ENDIF()
-				ENDIF()
+	int main(int /*argc*/, char** /*argv*/)
+	{
+		XDR *x = NULL;")
 
-				SET(XDR_INT_FOUND TRUE)
-				BREAK()
-			ENDIF()
-		ENDFOREACH()
-	ENDIF()
+SET(XDR_TEST_FOOTER "
+		return 0;
+	}")
 
-	IF(NOT XDR_INT_FOUND)
-		MESSAGE(WARNING "Could not locate xdr symbols in libc or libnsl. Persistence will be disabled!")
-	ELSE()
 
-		SET(XDR_FOUND TRUE)
+# Check RPC header files
+CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE_CXX(rpc/types.h RPC_TYPES_H)
+IF(NOT RPC_TYPES_H)
+	MESSAGE(STATUS "Cannot find RPC header rpc/types.h. Persistence will be disabled!")
+	RETURN()
+ENDIF()
+
+CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES("${XDR_TEST_HEADER}
+			   ${XDR_TEST_FOOTER}" RPC_XDR_H)
+IF(NOT RPC_XDR_H)
+	MESSAGE(STATUS "Cannot find RPC header rpc/xdr.h. Persistence will be disabled!")
+	RETURN()
+ENDIF()
+
 
-		## Let's see if we have an implementation for xdr_u_hyper
-		IF (XDR_LIBRARIES)
-			CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(${XDR_INT_LIBRARY} xdr_u_hyper "" BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
-		ELSE()
-			CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS(xdr_u_hyper BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
+# Check for symbol xdr_int
+CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES("${XDR_TEST_HEADER}
+			   int i;
+			   xdr_int(x, &i);
+			   ${XDR_TEST_FOOTER}" RPC_XDR_INT)
+IF(NOT RPC_XDR_INT)
+	FOREACH(lib nsl oncrpc)
+		# Try to find the corresponding lib manually
+		SET(XDR_INT_LIBRARY)
+		FIND_LIBRARY(XDR_INT_LIBRARY ${lib})
+
+		IF (XDR_INT_LIBRARY)
+			CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(${XDR_INT_LIBRARY} xdr_int "" XDR_INT_SYMBOL_FOUND)
 		ENDIF()
 
-		IF(BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
-				SET(XDR_TEST_HEADER "#include <rpc/types.h>
-										#include <rpc/xdr.h>
-										int main(){")
-				SET(XDR_TEST_FOOTER "XDR xdrs;
-										xdr_u_hyper(&xdrs, &q); }")
-
-				MESSAGE(STATUS "Looking for 64-bit XDR type (for xdr_u_hyper)")
-
-				#List containing possible types for BALL_XDR_UINT64_TYPE
-				SET(POSSIBLE_64BIT_TYPES u_quad_t u_longlong_t "unsigned long long" __uint64_t)
-
-				#iterate over the list and try out the types
-				FOREACH(XDR_UINT64_TYPE ${POSSIBLE_64BIT_TYPES})
-						CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES( "${XDR_TEST_HEADER}${XDR_UINT64_TYPE} q;${XDR_TEST_FOOTER}" XDR_64Bit_Type )
-						IF (XDR_64Bit_Type)
-							SET(BALL_XDR_UINT64_TYPE ${XDR_UINT64_TYPE} CACHE STRING "Unsigned 64bit type for xdr_u_hyper" FORCE)
-							BREAK()
-						ENDIF()
-				ENDFOREACH()
-
-				IF (NOT XDR_64Bit_Type)
-						SET(BALL_XDR_UINT64_TYPE OFF)
-						MESSAGE(WARNING "Could not identify an appropriate type for XDR_64Bit_Type.")
+		IF (XDR_INT_SYMBOL_FOUND)
+			SET(XDR_LIBRARIES ${XDR_INT_LIBRARY})
+
+			# Try to find the debug version as well
+			FIND_LIBRARY(XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D ${lib}d)
+
+			IF (XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D)
+				CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(${XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D} xdr_int "" XDR_INT_SYMBOL_D_FOUND)
+				IF (XDR_INT_SYMBOL_D_FOUND)
+					BALL_COMBINE_LIBS(XDR_LIBRARIES ${XDR_LIBRARIES} ${XDR_INT_LIBRARY_D})
 				ENDIF()
+			ENDIF()
 
-			ELSE(BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
-					CHECK_TYPE_SIZE("unsigned long long int" SUPPORTS_64_BIT)
-					IF(SUPPORTS_64_BIT)
-							SET(BALL_U_QUAD_TYPE "unsigned long long int")
-					ELSE(SUPPORTS_64_BIT)
-							MESSAGE(WARNING "Could not identify an 64 bit unsigned type (long long).")
-					ENDIF(SUPPORTS_64_BIT)
-			ENDIF(BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
+			SET(RPC_XDR_INT TRUE)
+			BREAK()
+		ENDIF()
+	ENDFOREACH()
+ENDIF()
+
+IF(NOT RPC_XDR_INT)
+	MESSAGE(STATUS "XRD symbol 'xdr_int' not found. Persistence will be disabled!")
+	RETURN()
+ENDIF()
+
+
+# We have found XDR
+SET(XDR_FOUND TRUE)
+
+
+# Check for symbol xdr_u_hyper
+CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES("${XDR_TEST_HEADER}
+			   u_quad_t q;
+			   xdr_u_hyper(x, &q);
+			   ${XDR_TEST_FOOTER}" BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
+
+IF(NOT BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
+	CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(${XDR_INT_LIBRARY} xdr_u_hyper "" BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
+ENDIF()
+
+IF(BALL_HAS_XDR_U_HYPER)
+	MESSAGE(STATUS "Looking for 64-bit XDR type for xdr_u_hyper")
+
+	# Try out possible types
+	FOREACH(XDR_UINT64_TYPE u_quad_t u_longlong_t "unsigned long long" __uint64_t)
+		CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES("${XDR_TEST_HEADER}
+					   ${XDR_UINT64_TYPE} q;
+					   xdr_u_hyper(x, &q);
+					   ${XDR_TEST_FOOTER}" XDR_64BIT_TYPE)
+
+		IF (XDR_64BIT_TYPE)
+			SET(BALL_XDR_UINT64_TYPE ${XDR_UINT64_TYPE} CACHE STRING "Unsigned 64bit type for xdr_u_hyper" FORCE)
+			BREAK()
+		ENDIF()
+	ENDFOREACH()
+
+	IF (NOT XDR_64BIT_TYPE)
+		SET(BALL_XDR_UINT64_TYPE OFF)
+		MESSAGE(WARNING "Could not identify an appropriate type for XDR_64BIT_TYPE.")
+	ENDIF()
+ELSE()
+	CHECK_TYPE_SIZE("unsigned long long int" SUPPORTS_64_BIT)
+	IF(SUPPORTS_64_BIT)
+		SET(BALL_U_QUAD_TYPE "unsigned long long int")
+	ELSE()
+		MESSAGE(WARNING "Could not identify an 64 bit unsigned type (long long).")
 	ENDIF()
 ENDIF()