diff --git a/readline/sysdep-obsd.h b/readline/sysdep-obsd.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86b6d0d085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/readline/sysdep-obsd.h
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+/* System-dependent stuff, for Sony NEwS, Mach, and other systems 
+   in the "old BSD Unix" tradition.  */
+
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#define alloca __builtin_alloca
+#else
+extern char *alloca ();
+#endif
+
+#include <sys/dir.h>
+typedef struct direct dirent;