diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index abdbc03ee..71656083b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -238,6 +238,8 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 find_package( Luabind REQUIRED )
+include(check_luabind)
+
 include_directories(${LUABIND_INCLUDE_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(osrm-extract ${LUABIND_LIBRARY})
 target_link_libraries(osrm-prepare ${LUABIND_LIBRARY})
diff --git a/cmake/check_luabind.cmake b/cmake/check_luabind.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dc2396ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/check_luabind.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+INCLUDE (CheckCXXSourceCompiles)
+unset(LUABIND_WORKS CACHE)
+unset(LUABIND51_WORKS CACHE)
+SET (LUABIND_CHECK_SRC "#include \"lua.h\"\n#include <luabind/luabind.hpp>\n int main() { lua_State *myLuaState = luaL_newstate(); luabind::open(myLuaState);  return 0;}")
+SET (CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_CONFIGURATION ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE})
+SET (CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES "${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR};${LUABIND_INCLUDE_DIR};${LUA_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+SET (CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES "${LUABIND_LIBRARY};${LUA_LIBRARY}")
+
+CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES("${LUABIND_CHECK_SRC}" LUABIND_WORKS)
+
+if( LUABIND_WORKS )
+  MESSAGE("Luabind works with ${LUA_LIBRARY}")
+else()
+  MESSAGE("Luabind does not work with ${LUA_LIBRARY}, will try Lua 5.1.")
+  unset(LUA_FOUND CACHE)
+  unset(LUA_INCLUDE_DIR CACHE)
+  unset(LUA_LIBRARY CACHE)
+  find_package(Lua51)
+  SET (CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES "${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR};${LUABIND_INCLUDE_DIR};${LUA_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+  SET (CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES "${LUABIND_LIBRARY};${LUA_LIBRARY}")
+
+  CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES("${LUABIND_CHECK_SRC}" LUABIND51_WORKS)
+
+  if( LUABIND51_WORKS )
+    MESSAGE("Luabind works with Lua 5.1 at ${LUA_LIBRARY}")
+  else()
+    MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR	"Luabind does not work with Lua 5.1 at ${LUA_LIBRARY}, no working Luabind found")
+  endif()
+endif()