diff --git a/lib/framework.php b/lib/framework.php
index 1834c3e786..d749d23bdf 100644
--- a/lib/framework.php
+++ b/lib/framework.php
@@ -137,9 +137,18 @@ spl_autoload_register('GNUsocial_class_autoload');
  * and is available here: http://www.php-fig.org/psr/psr-0/
 */
 spl_autoload_register(function($class){
-    $file = INSTALLDIR.'/extlib/'.preg_replace('{\\\\|_(?!.*\\\\)}', DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR, ltrim($class, '\\')).'.php';
+    $class_path = preg_replace('{\\\\|_(?!.*\\\\)}', DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR, ltrim($class, '\\')).'.php';
+    $file = INSTALLDIR.'/extlib/'.$class_path;
     if (file_exists($file)) {
         require_once $file;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    # Try if the system has this external library
+    $file = '/usr/share/php/'.$class_path;
+    if (file_exists($file)) {
+        require_once $file;
+        return;
     }
 });