diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3960176b..1ac2cc78 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ target_compile_definitions(wolftpm PRIVATE
     "BUILDING_WOLFTPM"
     )
 
+include(CheckIncludeFile)
+check_include_file("netdb.h" HAVE_NETDB_H)
 
 # TODO
 # * wrapper
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 134e6b79..7d2101e6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ AC_CHECK_SIZEOF([long long], 8)
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF([long], 4)
 
 # Check headers/libs
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([netdb.h])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([gethostbyname getaddrinfo gettimeofday inet_ntoa memset socket])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([network],[socket])
 
diff --git a/wolftpm/tpm2_socket.h b/wolftpm/tpm2_socket.h
index d0114262..b633a885 100644
--- a/wolftpm/tpm2_socket.h
+++ b/wolftpm/tpm2_socket.h
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 #else
     #include <sys/types.h>
     #include <sys/socket.h>
-    #include <netdb.h>
 
     #define SOCKET_T int
 #endif
@@ -86,4 +85,7 @@
 
 #endif /* !USE_WOLFSSL_IO */
 
+/* always include netdb.h for socket examples */
+#include <netdb.h>
+
 #endif /* _TPM2_SOCKET_H_ */