diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 68ff6d44d..04a2e6cf0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ compile
 stamp-enum-types
 stamp-marshal
 /ChangeLog*
+/clutter/clutter-config.h
 /clutter/clutter-enum-types.[ch]
 /clutter/clutter-marshal.[ch]
 /clutter/clutter-version.h
diff --git a/clutter/Makefile.am b/clutter/Makefile.am
index 42c964e78..e75ef7004 100644
--- a/clutter/Makefile.am
+++ b/clutter/Makefile.am
@@ -264,6 +264,10 @@ built_source_h = \
 	clutter-marshal.h			\
 	$(NULL)
 
+# config header
+DISTCLEANFILES += clutter-config.h
+EXTRA_DIST += clutter-config.h.in
+
 # version header
 DISTCLEANFILES += clutter-version.h
 EXTRA_DIST += clutter-version.h.in
@@ -612,6 +616,7 @@ DISTCLEANFILES += $(pc_files)
 
 clutter_include_HEADERS = $(source_h) $(top_srcdir)/clutter/clutter.h
 nodist_clutter_include_HEADERS = \
+	$(top_builddir)/clutter/clutter-config.h \
 	$(top_builddir)/clutter/clutter-version.h \
 	$(built_source_h)
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-config.h.in b/clutter/clutter-config.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0aeadd25c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clutter/clutter-config.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#if !defined(__CLUTTER_H_INSIDE__) && !defined(CLUTTER_COMPILATION)
+#error "Only <clutter/clutter.h> can be included directly."
+#endif
+
+#ifndef __CLUTTER_CONFIG_H__
+#define __CLUTTER_CONFIG_H__
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+G_BEGIN_DECLS
+
+@CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES@
+
+G_END_DECLS
+
+#endif /* __CLUTTER_CONFIG_H__ */
diff --git a/clutter/clutter.h b/clutter/clutter.h
index 8448a4490..3729cf8eb 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 #include "clutter-deprecated.h"
 
+#include "clutter-config.h"
+
 #include "clutter-action.h"
 #include "clutter-actor.h"
 #include "clutter-actor-meta.h"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8abcfac7b..0f1db8d45 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -673,6 +673,35 @@ dnl using the define also.
 AC_DEFINE([COGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_2_0_API], [1],
           [Can use Cogl 2.0 API internally])
 
+dnl === Clutter configuration =================================================
+
+CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES=
+
+# windowing systems
+AS_IF([test "x$SUPPORT_XLIB" = "x1"],
+      [CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES="$CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES
+#define CLUTTER_WINDOWING_X11 1"])
+AS_IF([test "x$SUPPORT_GLX" = "x1"],
+      [CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES="$CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES
+#define CLUTTER_WINDOWING_GLX 1"])
+AS_IF([test "x$SUPPORT_EGL" = "x1"],
+      [CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES="$CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES
+#define CLUTTER_WINDOWING_EGL 1"])
+AS_IF([test "x$SUPPORT_WAYLAND" = "x1"],
+      [CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES="$CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES
+#define CLUTTER_WINDOWING_WAYLAND 1"])
+AS_IF([test "x$SUPPORT_OSX" = "x1"],
+      [CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES="$CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES
+#define CLUTTER_WINDOWING_OSX 1"])
+AS_IF([test "x$SUPPORT_WIN32" = "x1"],
+      [CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES="$CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES
+#define CLUTTER_WINDOWING_WIN32 1"])
+AS_IF([test "x$SUPPORT_CEX100" = "x1"],
+      [CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES="$CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES
+#define CLUTTER_WINDOWING_CEX100 1"])
+
+AC_SUBST([CLUTTER_CONFIG_DEFINES])
+
 dnl === Clutter substitutions =================================================
 # Eventually the idea of a winsys should be hidden from Clutter and moved
 # into Cogl, but for now we have CLUTTER_WINSYS...
@@ -1121,6 +1150,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 	build/mingw/Makefile
 
 	clutter/Makefile
+        clutter/clutter-config.h
 	clutter/clutter-version.h
 	clutter/clutter-$CLUTTER_API_VERSION.pc:clutter/clutter.pc.in