diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index dca581de..4725a113 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 2008-05-08  Curtis Gedak  <gedakc@gmail.com>
 
+	* README: Added note about hal-lock and HAL requirement
+
+	* configure.in: Added check for hal-lock program
+
 	* src/GParted_Core.cc: Added parse devices from /proc/partitions
 	  - If /proc/partitions doesn't exist then use ped_device_probe_all
 	  - Closes GParted bugs #351753, and #453555
diff --git a/README b/README
index 02b881c7..a9ccec85 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -105,3 +105,9 @@ Optional packages include:
    xfsprogs
    NOTE:  If the vol_id command is in the search PATH, it will be
           used to read linux-swap volume labels.
+          
+The hal-lock program is required by the gparted script to acquire device
+locks prior to gpartedbin invocation.  hal-lock is part of the Hardware
+Abstraction Layer.  You can learn more about HAL at:
+
+http://people.freedesktop.org/~david/hal-spec/hal-spec.html
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index f64d48c5..149f7c59 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_CXX
 AM_PROG_LIBTOOL
 
+dnl check for hal-lock program
+AC_CHECK_PROG([HAVE_HAL_LOCK], [hal-lock], [yes], [no])
+if test "x$HAVE_HAL_LOCK" = "xno"; then
+	AC_MSG_ERROR([*** hal-lock program not found])
+fi
+
+
 dnl======================
 dnl i18n stuff 
 dnl======================
@@ -28,8 +35,9 @@ IT_PROG_INTLTOOL([0.35.5])
 dnl======================
 dnl checks for libs 
 dnl======================
-AC_CHECK_LIB(uuid, uuid_generate, [], AC_MSG_ERROR([*** uuid library (libuuid) not found]))
-AC_CHECK_LIB(dl, dlopen,          [], AC_MSG_ERROR([*** dl library (libdl) not found]))
+AC_CHECK_LIB(uuid, uuid_generate,     [], AC_MSG_ERROR([*** uuid library (libuuid) not found]))
+AC_CHECK_LIB(dl, dlopen,              [], AC_MSG_ERROR([*** dl library (libdl) not found]))
+
 
 dnl libparted
 LIBPARTED_VERSION=1.7.1