diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index b94dd0cab..52ce95a44 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -35,7 +35,32 @@ if test "x$res" = "xno"; then
 fi
 				
 AC_SUBST(fnmatch_libs)
-				
+
+# Setting have_valgrind to "no" seems pointless, but we just need to
+# put something in as the 4th parameter, so configure doesn't abort
+# when valgrind.pc isn't found.
+have_valgrind="no"
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(VALGRIND, valgrind >= 2.4.0, have_valgrind=yes, have_valgrind=no)
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(valgrind,
+  [  --enable-valgrind               enable valgrind support], [
+      if [ test "$enableval" = "yes" ]; then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+        have_valgrind="yes"
+      else
+        AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+		have_valgrind="no"
+        VALGRIND_CFLAGS=""
+        VALGRIND_LIBS=""
+      fi
+  ], [
+    have_valgrind=$have_valgrind
+  ]
+)
+
+if test x$have_valgrind = "xyes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE(HAVE_VALGRIND, 1, [Valgrind support])
+fi
+
 MODULE_ARCH="$host_os-$host_cpu"
 AC_SUBST(MODULE_ARCH)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(MODULE_ARCH, "$MODULE_ARCH", "Module architecture")
diff --git a/src/bin/Makefile.am b/src/bin/Makefile.am
index 1e8926c23..7bab8c6df 100644
--- a/src/bin/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/bin/Makefile.am
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ INCLUDES = -I$(includedir) \
 	   @e_cflags@ \
 	   @x_cflags@ \
 	   @cf_cflags@ \
+	   @VALGRIND_CFLAGS@ \
 	   @EDJE_DEF@
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = \
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ enlightenment_SOURCES = \
 e_main.c \
 $(enlightenment_src)
 
-enlightenment_LDFLAGS = -export-dynamic @e_libs@ @x_libs@ @dlopen_libs@ @cf_libs@
+enlightenment_LDFLAGS = -export-dynamic @e_libs@ @x_libs@ @dlopen_libs@ @cf_libs@ @VALGRIND_LIBS@
 
 enlightenment_remote_SOURCES = \
 e.h \
diff --git a/src/bin/e_module.c b/src/bin/e_module.c
index d78d7a592..fb46e8319 100644
--- a/src/bin/e_module.c
+++ b/src/bin/e_module.c
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 #include "e.h"
 #include "config.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_VALGRIND
+# include <memcheck.h>
+#endif
+
 /* TODO List:
  * 
  * * add module types/classes
@@ -65,6 +69,14 @@ int
 e_module_shutdown(void)
 {
    Evas_List *l, *tmp;
+
+#ifdef HAVE_VALGRIND
+   /* do a leak check now before we dlclose() all those plugins, cause
+    * that means we won't get a decent backtrace to leaks in there
+    */
+   VALGRIND_DO_LEAK_CHECK
+#endif
+
    for (l = _e_modules; l;)
      {
 	tmp = l;