diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e510d880a7..b0b8d3f188 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1118,10 +1118,14 @@ fi
 # Now, set enable_parallel if either pnetcdf or parallel4 is set
 if test "x$enable_pnetcdf" = xyes -o "x$enable_parallel4" = xyes; then
 enable_parallel=yes
+AC_DEFINE([USE_PARALLEL], [1], [if true, enable parallel support])
 else
 enable_parallel=no
+AC_DEFINE([USE_PARALLEL], [0], [if true, enable parallel support])
 fi
 
+AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_PARALLEL, [test x$enable_parallel = xyes ])
+
 if test "x$hdf5_parallel" = xyes; then
   # Provide more precise parallel control
   AC_DEFINE([HDF5_PARALLEL], [1], [if true, hdf5 has parallelism enabled])
diff --git a/nc-config.in b/nc-config.in
index 324e68b493..278a025b01 100644
--- a/nc-config.in
+++ b/nc-config.in
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ has_hdf5="@HAS_HDF5@"
 has_logging="@HAS_LOGGING@"
 has_cdf5="@HAS_CDF5@"
 has_szlib="@HAS_SZLIB@"
+has_parallel="@HAS_PARALLEL@"
 version="@PACKAGE_NAME@ @PACKAGE_VERSION@"