diff --git a/libknet/Makefile.am b/libknet/Makefile.am
index d0aae6a9..18cbb82f 100644
--- a/libknet/Makefile.am
+++ b/libknet/Makefile.am
@@ -1,114 +1,122 @@
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2010-2017 Red Hat, Inc.  All rights reserved.
 #
 # Authors: Fabio M. Di Nitto <fabbione@kronosnet.org>
 #          Federico Simoncelli <fsimon@kronosnet.org>
 #
 # This software licensed under GPL-2.0+, LGPL-2.0+
 #
 
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES	= Makefile.in
 
 include $(top_srcdir)/build-aux/check.mk
 
 SYMFILE			= libknet_exported_syms
 
 EXTRA_DIST		= $(SYMFILE)
 
 SUBDIRS			= . tests man
 
 libversion		= 1:0:0
 
 # override global LIBS that pulls in lots of craft we don't need here
 LIBS			=
 
 sources			= \
 			  common.c \
 			  compat.c \
 			  compress.c \
 			  compress_zlib.c \
 			  compress_lz4.c \
 			  compress_lzo2.c \
 			  compress_lzma.c \
 			  compress_bzip2.c \
 			  crypto.c \
 			  crypto_nss.c \
 			  crypto_openssl.c \
 			  handle.c \
 			  host.c \
 			  links.c \
 			  logging.c \
 			  netutils.c \
 			  threads_common.c \
 			  threads_dsthandler.c \
 			  threads_heartbeat.c \
 			  threads_pmtud.c \
 			  threads_rx.c \
 			  threads_tx.c \
 			  transport_udp.c \
 			  transport_sctp.c \
 			  transport_loopback.c \
 			  transport_common.c
 
 include_HEADERS		= libknet.h
 
 pkgconfigdir		= $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 
 pkgconfig_DATA		= libknet.pc
 
 noinst_HEADERS		= \
 			  common.h \
 			  compat.h \
 			  compress.h \
 			  compress_zlib.h \
 			  compress_lz4.h \
 			  compress_lzo2.h \
 			  compress_lzma.h \
 			  compress_bzip2.h \
 			  crypto.h \
 			  crypto_nss.h \
 			  crypto_openssl.h \
 			  host.h \
 			  internals.h \
 			  links.h \
 			  logging.h \
 			  netutils.h \
 			  onwire.h \
 			  threads_common.h \
 			  threads_dsthandler.h \
 			  threads_heartbeat.h \
 			  threads_pmtud.h \
 			  threads_rx.h \
 			  threads_tx.h \
 			  transports.h
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES		= libknet.la
 
 libknet_la_SOURCES	= $(sources)
 
 libknet_la_CFLAGS	= $(nss_CFLAGS) $(openssl_CFLAGS) \
 			  $(zlib_CFLAGS) $(liblz4_CFLAGS) $(lzo2_CFLAGS) $(liblzma_CFLAGS) $(bzip2_CFLAGS)
 
 EXTRA_libknet_la_DEPENDENCIES	= $(SYMFILE)
 
 libknet_la_LDFLAGS	= -Wl,--version-script=$(srcdir)/$(SYMFILE) \
 			  --export-dynamic \
 			  -version-number $(libversion)
 
 libknet_la_LIBADD	= $(dl_LIBS) $(pthread_LIBS) $(rt_LIBS) $(m_LIBS)
 
+noinst_PROGRAMS		= crypto_canary compress_canary
+crypto_canary_SOURCES	= crypto_canary.c
+crypto_canary_CFLAGS	= $(nss_CFLAGS) $(openssl_CFLAGS)
+crypto_canary_LDADD	= $(nss_LIBS)   $(openssl_LIBS)
+compress_canary_SOURCES	= compress_canary.c
+compress_canary_CFLAGS	= $(zlib_CFLAGS) $(liblz4_CFLAGS) $(lzo2_CFLAGS) $(liblzma_CFLAGS) $(bzip2_CFLAGS)
+compress_canary_LDADD	= $(zlib_LIBS)   $(liblz4_LIBS)   $(lzo2_LIBS)   $(liblzma_LIBS)   $(bzip2_LIBS)
+
 dist_man_MANS		= man
 
 update-man-pages: doxyfile.stamp
 
 doxyfile.stamp: Doxyfile
 if MANPAGEUPDATES
 	$(DOXYGEN) Doxyfile
 	$(DOXY2MAN) -o $(abs_srcdir)/man -s 3 --short-pkg @PACKAGE_NAME@ --pkg "Kronosnet Programmer's Manual" $(builddir)/xml/libknet_8h.xml
 else
 	@echo this system does not have doxy2man or doxygen installed. Unable to update man pages automatically.
 endif
 	touch doxyfile.stamp
 
 clean-local:
 	rm -rf doxyfile.stamp xml
diff --git a/libknet/compress_canary.c b/libknet/compress_canary.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9cdf6d53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libknet/compress_canary.c
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/* Transform the binary into dependencies like:
+ * dpkg-shlibdeps -pcompress -dSuggests -xlibc6 -elibknet/compress_canary
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+char BZ2_bzBuffToBuffCompress(void);
+char LZ4_compress_HC(void);
+char lzma_easy_buffer_encode(void);
+char lzo1x_1_compress(void);
+char compress2(void);
+
+int main (void)
+{
+  return
+#ifdef BUILDCOMPBZIP2
+    BZ2_bzBuffToBuffCompress() +
+#endif
+#ifdef BUILDCOMPLZ4
+    LZ4_compress_HC() +
+#endif
+#ifdef BUILDCOMPLZMA
+    lzma_easy_buffer_encode() +
+#endif
+#ifdef BUILDCOMPLZO2
+    lzo1x_1_compress() +
+#endif
+#ifdef BUILDCOMPZLIB
+    compress2() +
+#endif
+    0;
+}
diff --git a/libknet/crypto_canary.c b/libknet/crypto_canary.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c9fcced4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libknet/crypto_canary.c
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/* Transform the binary into dependencies like:
+ * dpkg-shlibdeps -pcrypto -dRecommends -xlibc6 -elibknet/crypto_canary -O | sed 's/,/ |/g' >>debian/substvars
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+char NSS_NoDB_Init(void);
+char EVP_EncryptInit_ex(void);
+
+int main (void)
+{
+  return
+#ifdef BUILDCRYPTONSS
+    NSS_NoDB_Init() +
+#endif
+#ifdef BUILDCRYPTOOPENSSL
+    EVP_EncryptInit_ex() +
+#endif
+    0;
+}