diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 46de7fb..dc4a609 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ SUFFIXES += .in
                 -e 's,[@]RUNDIR[@],$(RUNDIR),g' \
                 -e 's,[@]VERSION[@],$(VERSION),g' \
                 -e 's,[@]BUILDNR[@],$(BUILDNR),g' \
+                -e 's,[@]OVSKMOD[@],$(OVSKMOD),g' \
                 -e 's,[@]localstatedir[@],$(localstatedir),g' \
                 -e 's,[@]pkgdatadir[@],$(pkgdatadir),g' \
                 -e 's,[@]sysconfdir[@],$(sysconfdir),g' \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -93,6 +94,12 @@ AC_ARG_VAR(KARCH, [Kernel Architecture String])
 AC_SUBST(KARCH)
 OVS_CHECK_LINUX
 
+AC_ARG_VAR(OVSKMOD, [Open vSwitch kernel module name (default openvswitch_mod)])
+if test "X$OVSKMOD" = "X"; then
+    OVSKMOD=openvswitch_mod
+fi
+AC_SUBST(OVSKMOD)
+
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile 
 datapath/Makefile 
 datapath/linux/Kbuild
diff --git a/utilities/ovs-ctl.in b/utilities/ovs-ctl.in
--- a/utilities/ovs-ctl.in
+++ b/utilities/ovs-ctl.in
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ done
 ## ----- ##
 
 insert_openvswitch_mod_if_required () {
-    # If openvswitch_mod is already loaded then we're done.
-    test -e /sys/module/openvswitch_mod && return 0
+    # If @OVSKMOD@ is already loaded then we're done.
+    test -e /sys/module/@OVSKMOD@ && return 0
 
-    # Load openvswitch_mod.  If that's successful then we're done.
-    action "Inserting openvswitch module" modprobe openvswitch_mod && return 0
+    # Load @OVSKMOD@.  If that's successful then we're done.
+    action "Inserting openvswitch module" modprobe @OVSKMOD@ && return 0
 
     # If the bridge module is loaded, then that might be blocking
-    # openvswitch_mod.  Try to unload it, if there are no bridges.
+    # @OVSKMOD@.  Try to unload it, if there are no bridges.
     test -e /sys/module/bridge || return 1
     bridges=`echo /sys/class/net/*/bridge | sed 's,/sys/class/net/,,g;s,/bridge,,g'`
     if test "$bridges" != "*"; then
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ insert_openvswitch_mod_if_required () {
     fi
     action "removing bridge module" rmmod bridge || return 1
 
-    # Try loading openvswitch_mod again.
-    action "Inserting openvswitch module" modprobe openvswitch_mod
+    # Try loading @OVSKMOD@ again.
+    action "Inserting openvswitch module" modprobe @OVSKMOD@
 }
 
 insert_brcompat_mod_if_required () {
@@ -285,8 +285,8 @@ force_reload_kmod () {
     if test -e /sys/module/brcompat_mod; then
         action "Removing brcompat module" rmmod brcompat_mod
     fi
-    if test -e /sys/module/openvswitch_mod; then
-        action "Removing openvswitch module" rmmod openvswitch_mod
+    if test -e /sys/module/@OVSKMOD@; then
+        action "Removing openvswitch module" rmmod @OVSKMOD@
     fi
 
     start