diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index ac46000c..8e45f89c 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -211,7 +211,14 @@ case "${host_os}" in
         install_man="no"
         ;;
     *cygwin*)
+        # Define on Cygwin to enable all library features
+        CPPFLAGS="-D_GNU_SOURCE $CPPFLAGS"
         AC_DEFINE(ZMQ_HAVE_CYGWIN, 1, [Have Cygwin])
+        # Cygwin provides libuuid as part of the e2fsprogs package, and somewhat
+        # uselessly installs the library in /usr/lib/e2fsprogs
+        LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L/usr/lib/e2fsprogs"
+        AC_CHECK_LIB(uuid, uuid_generate, ,
+            [AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot link with -luuid, install the e2fsprogs package.])])
         ;;
     *)
         AC_MSG_ERROR([unsupported system: ${host_os}.])
diff --git a/src/uuid.cpp b/src/uuid.cpp
index 7332f1fe..5991bfb6 100644
--- a/src/uuid.cpp
+++ b/src/uuid.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ const char *zmq::uuid_t::to_string ()
     return string_buf;
 }
 
-#elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_LINUX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_SOLARIS || defined ZMQ_HAVE_OSX
+#elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_LINUX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_SOLARIS ||\
+      defined ZMQ_HAVE_OSX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_CYGWIN
 
 #include <uuid/uuid.h>
 
diff --git a/src/uuid.hpp b/src/uuid.hpp
index dfaef010..d24ef2ca 100644
--- a/src/uuid.hpp
+++ b/src/uuid.hpp
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
 
 #if defined ZMQ_HAVE_FREEBSD || defined ZMQ_HAVE_NETBSD
 #include <uuid.h>
-#elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_LINUX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_SOLARIS || defined ZMQ_HAVE_OSX
+#elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_LINUX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_SOLARIS ||\
+      defined ZMQ_HAVE_OSX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_CYGWIN
 #include <uuid/uuid.h>
 #elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_WINDOWS
 #include <Rpc.h>
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@ namespace zmq
 #elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_FREEBSD || defined ZMQ_HAVE_NETBSD
         ::uuid_t uuid;
         char *string_buf;
-#elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_LINUX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_SOLARIS || defined ZMQ_HAVE_OSX
+#elif defined ZMQ_HAVE_LINUX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_SOLARIS ||\
+      defined ZMQ_HAVE_OSX || defined ZMQ_HAVE_CYGWIN
         ::uuid_t uuid;
         char string_buf [uuid_string_len + 1];
 #else