diff --git a/apps/app_voicemail.c b/apps/app_voicemail.c
index e5572dd..167dfab 100644
--- a/apps/app_voicemail.c
+++ b/apps/app_voicemail.c
@@ -82,10 +82,16 @@ ASTERISK_FILE_VERSION(__FILE__, "$Revision$")
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
+#ifdef USE_SYSTEM_IMAP
+#include <imap/c-client.h>
+#include <imap/imap4r1.h>
+#include <imap/linkage.h>
+#else
 #include "c-client.h"
 #include "imap4r1.h"
 #include "linkage.h"
 #endif
+#endif
 
 #include "asterisk/lock.h"
 #include "asterisk/file.h"
@@ -4807,7 +4813,11 @@ static int init_mailstream(struct vm_state *vms, int box)
 
 	if (delimiter == '\0') {		/* did not probe the server yet */
 		char *cp;
+#if USE_SYSTEM_IMAP
+#include <imap/linkage.c>
+#else
 #include "linkage.c"
+#endif
 		/* Connect to INBOX first to get folders delimiter */
 		imap_mailbox_name(tmp, vms, 0, 0);
 		stream = mail_open(stream, tmp, debug ? OP_DEBUG : NIL);
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5094503..f688a42 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -436,7 +436,9 @@ if test "${PBX_IKSEMEL}" = 1; then
 fi
 
 if test "${USE_IMAP_TK}" != "no"; then
-   if test "${IMAP_TK_DIR}" = ""; then
+   if test "${IMAP_TK_DIR}" = "system" ; then
+      AC_MSG_NOTICE([Checking for system c-client library...])
+   elif test "${IMAP_TK_DIR}" = ""; then
       IMAP_TK_DIR=`pwd`"/../imap-2004g"
       if test  -n "${IMAP_TK_MANDATORY}"; then
 	 AC_MSG_NOTICE([The --with-imap option does not search your system for installed])
@@ -445,17 +447,29 @@ if test "${USE_IMAP_TK}" != "no"; then
 	 AC_MSG_NOTICE([files at ${IMAP_TK_DIR}, as outlined in the doc/imapstorage.txt file.])
       fi
    fi
-   AC_MSG_CHECKING(for UW IMAP Toolkit c-client library)
+   if test "${IMAP_TK_DIR}" != "system" ; then
+      AC_MSG_CHECKING(for UW IMAP Toolkit c-client library)
+   fi
    saved_cppflags="${CPPFLAGS}"
    saved_libs="${LIBS}"
-   if test -f ${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client/LDFLAGS ; then
+   if test "${IMAP_TK_DIR}" = "system" ; then
+      imap_ldflags=""
+      imap_libs="-lc-client"
+      imap_include="-DUSE_SYSTEM_IMAP"
+   elif test -f ${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client/LDFLAGS ; then
       imap_ldflags=`cat ${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client/LDFLAGS`
+      imap_libs="${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client/c-client.a"
+      imap_include="-I${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client"
    fi
-   CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -I${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client"
-   LIBS="${LIBS} ${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client/c-client.a "`echo ${imap_ldflags}`
+   CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} ${imap_include}"
+   LIBS="${LIBS} ${imap_libs} "`echo ${imap_ldflags}`
    AC_LINK_IFELSE(
 	AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
-		[#include "c-client.h"
+		[#ifdef USE_SYSTEM_IMAP
+		#include <imap/c-client.h>
+		#else
+		#include "c-client.h"
+		#endif
 		void mm_searched (MAILSTREAM *stream,unsigned long number)
 		{
 		}
@@ -511,7 +525,11 @@ if test "${USE_IMAP_TK}" != "no"; then
    if test "${ac_cv_imap_tk}" = "yes"; then
    AC_LINK_IFELSE(
       AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
-         [#include "c-client.h"
+         [#ifdef USE_SYSTEM_IMAP
+	 #include <imap/c-client.h>
+	 #else
+	 #include "c-client.h"
+	 #endif
          void mm_searched (MAILSTREAM *stream,unsigned long number)
          {
          }
@@ -569,8 +587,8 @@ if test "${USE_IMAP_TK}" != "no"; then
    LIBS="${saved_libs}"
    if test "${ac_cv_imap_tk}" = "yes"; then
       AC_MSG_RESULT(yes) 
-      IMAP_TK_LIB="${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client/c-client.a "`echo ${imap_ldflags}`
-      IMAP_TK_INCLUDE="-I${IMAP_TK_DIR}/c-client"
+      IMAP_TK_LIB="${imap_libs}"`echo ${imap_ldflags}`
+      IMAP_TK_INCLUDE="${imap_include}"
       PBX_IMAP_TK=1
       AC_DEFINE([HAVE_IMAP_TK], 1, [Define if your system has the UW IMAP Toolkit c-client library.])
       if test "${ac_cv_imap_tk2006}" = "yes"; then
diff --git a/doc/imapstorage.tex b/doc/imapstorage.tex
index 8cae24d..fccdc43 100644
--- a/doc/imapstorage.tex
+++ b/doc/imapstorage.tex
@@ -19,10 +19,11 @@ additional voicemail functionality, including:
 
 \subsubsection{University of Washington IMAP C-Client}
 
-You will need a source distribution of University of Washington's IMAP
-c-client (http://www.washington.edu/imap/).  Asterisk supports both the
-2004 and 2006 versions of c-client, however mail\_expunge\_full is enabled
-in the 2006 version.
+If you do not have the University of Washington's IMAP c-client
+installed on your system, you will need to download the c-client
+source distribution (http://www.washington.edu/imap/) and compile it.
+Asterisk supports both the 2004 and 2006 versions of c-client, however
+mail\_expunge\_full is enabled in the 2006 version.
 
 Note that Asterisk only uses the 'client' portion of the UW IMAP toolkit,
 but building it also builds an IMAP server and various other utilities.
@@ -50,19 +51,17 @@ need to run 'make install'.
 
 \subsubsection{Compiling Asterisk}
 
-Configure with ./configure --with-imap=/usr/src/imap
-or where ever you built thfe UWashington IMAP Toolkit. When you run
-'make menuselect', choose 'Voicemail Build Options' and the
-IMAP\_STORAGE option should be available for selection.
-
-Note that the --with-imap option will NOT search your system for an
-installed copy of the IMAP Toolkit c-client library; the Asterisk
-Makefiles and configure script are designed to build against an
-unpacked and compiled source tree of the IMAP Toolkit, not a binary
-distribution.
-
-After selecting it, use the 'x' key to exit menuselect and save
-your changes, and the build/install Asterisk normally.
+To use the system c-client library, configure Asterisk with
+./configure --with-imap=system. If you downloaded the c-client source
+and compiled it according to the above instructions, configure
+Asterisk with with ./configure --with-imap=/usr/src/imap or where ever
+you built the UWashington IMAP Toolkit. When you run 'make
+menuselect', choose 'Voicemail Build Options' and the IMAP\_STORAGE
+option should be available for selection.
+
+After selecting the IMAP\_STORAGE option, use the 'x' key to exit
+menuselect and save your changes, and the build/install Asterisk
+normally.
 
 \subsection{Modify voicemail.conf}