diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a49d1db2889..f339f968f18 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@ all::
 #
 # Define NO_MMAP if you want to avoid mmap.
 #
+# Define NO_SYS_POLL_H if you don't have sys/poll.h.
+#
+# Define NO_POLL if you do not have or don't want to use poll().
+# This also implies NO_SYS_POLL_H.
+#
 # Define NO_PTHREADS if you do not have or do not want to use Pthreads.
 #
 # Define NO_PREAD if you have a problem with pread() system call (e.g.
@@ -604,10 +609,10 @@ LIB_H += compat/bswap.h
 LIB_H += compat/cygwin.h
 LIB_H += compat/mingw.h
 LIB_H += compat/obstack.h
+LIB_H += compat/poll/poll.h
 LIB_H += compat/precompose_utf8.h
 LIB_H += compat/terminal.h
 LIB_H += compat/win32/dirent.h
-LIB_H += compat/win32/poll.h
 LIB_H += compat/win32/pthread.h
 LIB_H += compat/win32/syslog.h
 LIB_H += connected.h
@@ -1225,7 +1230,7 @@ ifeq ($(uname_S),Windows)
 	NO_PREAD = YesPlease
 	NEEDS_CRYPTO_WITH_SSL = YesPlease
 	NO_LIBGEN_H = YesPlease
-	NO_SYS_POLL_H = YesPlease
+	NO_POLL = YesPlease
 	NO_SYMLINK_HEAD = YesPlease
 	NO_IPV6 = YesPlease
 	NO_UNIX_SOCKETS = YesPlease
@@ -1266,7 +1271,7 @@ ifeq ($(uname_S),Windows)
 	BASIC_CFLAGS = -nologo -I. -I../zlib -Icompat/vcbuild -Icompat/vcbuild/include -DWIN32 -D_CONSOLE -DHAVE_STRING_H -D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS -D_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE
 	COMPAT_OBJS = compat/msvc.o compat/winansi.o \
 		compat/win32/pthread.o compat/win32/syslog.o \
-		compat/win32/poll.o compat/win32/dirent.o
+		compat/win32/dirent.o
 	COMPAT_CFLAGS = -D__USE_MINGW_ACCESS -DNOGDI -DHAVE_STRING_H -DHAVE_ALLOCA_H -Icompat -Icompat/regex -Icompat/win32 -DSTRIP_EXTENSION=\".exe\"
 	BASIC_LDFLAGS = -IGNORE:4217 -IGNORE:4049 -NOLOGO -SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE -NODEFAULTLIB:MSVCRT.lib
 	EXTLIBS = user32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib wininet.lib ws2_32.lib
@@ -1321,7 +1326,7 @@ ifneq (,$(findstring MINGW,$(uname_S)))
 	NO_PREAD = YesPlease
 	NEEDS_CRYPTO_WITH_SSL = YesPlease
 	NO_LIBGEN_H = YesPlease
-	NO_SYS_POLL_H = YesPlease
+	NO_POLL = YesPlease
 	NO_SYMLINK_HEAD = YesPlease
 	NO_UNIX_SOCKETS = YesPlease
 	NO_SETENV = YesPlease
@@ -1356,7 +1361,7 @@ ifneq (,$(findstring MINGW,$(uname_S)))
 	COMPAT_CFLAGS += -DSTRIP_EXTENSION=\".exe\"
 	COMPAT_OBJS += compat/mingw.o compat/winansi.o \
 		compat/win32/pthread.o compat/win32/syslog.o \
-		compat/win32/poll.o compat/win32/dirent.o
+		compat/win32/dirent.o
 	EXTLIBS += -lws2_32
 	PTHREAD_LIBS =
 	X = .exe
@@ -1610,6 +1615,11 @@ ifdef NO_GETTEXT
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNO_GETTEXT
 	USE_GETTEXT_SCHEME ?= fallthrough
 endif
+ifdef NO_POLL
+	NO_SYS_POLL_H = YesPlease
+	COMPAT_CFLAGS += -DNO_POLL -Icompat/poll
+	COMPAT_OBJS += compat/poll/poll.o
+endif
 ifdef NO_STRCASESTR
 	COMPAT_CFLAGS += -DNO_STRCASESTR
 	COMPAT_OBJS += compat/strcasestr.o
diff --git a/compat/win32/poll.c b/compat/poll/poll.c
similarity index 97%
rename from compat/win32/poll.c
rename to compat/poll/poll.c
index 403eaa7a3c8..7d226ecb293 100644
--- a/compat/win32/poll.c
+++ b/compat/poll/poll.c
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@
 # pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wtype-limits"
 #endif
 
-#include <malloc.h>
+#if defined(WIN32)
+# include <malloc.h>
+#endif
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
@@ -48,7 +50,9 @@
 #else
 # include <sys/time.h>
 # include <sys/socket.h>
-# include <sys/select.h>
+# ifndef NO_SYS_SELECT_H
+#  include <sys/select.h>
+# endif
 # include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -302,6 +306,10 @@ compute_revents (int fd, int sought, fd_set *rfds, fd_set *wfds, fd_set *efds)
 	       || socket_errno == ECONNABORTED || socket_errno == ENETRESET)
 	happened |= POLLHUP;
 
+      /* some systems can't use recv() on non-socket, including HP NonStop */
+      else if (/* (r == -1) && */ socket_errno == ENOTSOCK)
+	happened |= (POLLIN | POLLRDNORM) & sought;
+
       else
 	happened |= POLLERR;
     }
@@ -349,7 +357,7 @@ poll (struct pollfd *pfd, nfds_t nfd, int timeout)
 
   /* EFAULT is not necessary to implement, but let's do it in the
      simplest case. */
-  if (!pfd)
+  if (!pfd && nfd)
     {
       errno = EFAULT;
       return -1;
diff --git a/compat/win32/poll.h b/compat/poll/poll.h
similarity index 100%
rename from compat/win32/poll.h
rename to compat/poll/poll.h