diff --git a/Cantera/src/spectra/LineBroadener.cpp b/Cantera/src/spectra/LineBroadener.cpp
index 167261e3d..2422eeea3 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/spectra/LineBroadener.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/spectra/LineBroadener.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #include "ct_defs.h"
 #include <math.h>
+
+#ifdef USE_BOOST_MATH
+#include <boost/math/special_functions/erf.hpp>
+using boost::math::erf;
+#endif
+
 #include "LineBroadener.h"
 
 using namespace std;
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 97f8d91ef..c5c7e7ea7 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -446,11 +446,16 @@ elif env['CC'] == 'cl':
 else:
     assert False
 
+if env['boost_inc_dir']:
+    env.Append(CPPPATH=env['boost_inc_dir'])
+
 conf = Configure(env)
 
 env['HAS_SSTREAM'] = conf.CheckCXXHeader('sstream', '<>')
 env['HAS_TIMES_H'] = conf.CheckCHeader('sys/times.h', '""')
 env['HAS_UNISTD_H'] = conf.CheckCHeader('unistd.h', '""')
+env['HAS_MATH_H_ERF'] = conf.CheckDeclaration('erf', '#include <math.h>', 'C++')
+env['HAS_BOOST_MATH'] = conf.CheckCXXHeader('boost/math/special_functions/erf.hpp', '<>')
 env = conf.Finish()
 
 if env['cantera_python_home'] == '' and env['prefix'] != defaults.prefix:
@@ -547,6 +552,15 @@ cdefine('THREAD_SAFE_CANTERA', 'build_thread_safe')
 cdefine('HAS_SSTREAM', 'HAS_SSTREAM')
 configh['CANTERA_DATA'] = quoted(os.path.join(env['prefix'], 'data'))
 
+if not env['HAS_MATH_H_ERF']:
+    if env['HAS_BOOST_MATH']:
+        configh['USE_BOOST_MATH'] = 1
+    else:
+        print "Error: Couldn't find 'erf' in either <math.h> or Boost.Math"
+        sys.exit(1)
+else:
+    configh['USE_BOOST_MATH'] = None
+
 config_h = env.Command('config.h', 'config.h.in.scons', ConfigBuilder(configh))
 env.AlwaysBuild(config_h)
 
diff --git a/config.h.in.scons b/config.h.in.scons
index a884fa4cb..744b2f05a 100755
--- a/config.h.in.scons
+++ b/config.h.in.scons
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ typedef  int          ftnlen;       // Fortran hidden string length type
 %(LAPACK_NAMES_LOWERCASE)s
 %(LAPACK_FTN_TRAILING_UNDERSCORE)s
 
+//-------- BOOST --------
+%(USE_BOOST_MATH)s
+
 //--------- operating system --------------------------------------
 
 // The configure script defines this if the operatiing system is Mac