diff --git a/Data/ODBC/Makefile b/Data/ODBC/Makefile
index 0c9fcd4fd..6e63cc4b9 100644
--- a/Data/ODBC/Makefile
+++ b/Data/ODBC/Makefile
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@
 
 include $(POCO_BASE)/build/rules/global
 
-ifeq ($(OSNAME),Darwin)
+ifeq (0, $(shell test -e /usr/lib/libodbc.so; echo $$?))
+SYSLIBS += -lodbc -lodbcinst
+else ifeq (0, $(shell test -e /usr/lib/libiodbc.so; echo $$?))
 SYSLIBS += -liodbc -liodbcinst
 else
-SYSLIBS += -lodbc -lodbcinst
+$(error No ODBC library found. Please install unixODBC or iODBC and try again)
 endif
 
 objects = Binder ConnectionHandle DataTypes EnvironmentHandle \
diff --git a/Data/ODBC/testsuite/Makefile b/Data/ODBC/testsuite/Makefile
index f3f3ed643..714c3d973 100644
--- a/Data/ODBC/testsuite/Makefile
+++ b/Data/ODBC/testsuite/Makefile
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@
 
 include $(POCO_BASE)/build/rules/global
 
-ifeq ($(OSNAME),Darwin)
+ifeq (0, $(shell test -e /usr/lib/libodbc.so; echo $$?))
+SYSLIBS += -lodbc -lodbcinst
+else ifeq (0, $(shell test -e /usr/lib/libiodbc.so; echo $$?))
 SYSLIBS += -liodbc -liodbcinst
 else
-SYSLIBS += -lodbc -lodbcinst
+$(error No ODBC library found. Please install unixODBC or iODBC and try again)
 endif
 
 objects = ODBCTestSuite Driver \