diff --git a/Makefile.local b/Makefile.local
index 9e2111f5..9d9c52c2 100644
--- a/Makefile.local
+++ b/Makefile.local
@@ -199,6 +199,14 @@ quiet ?= $($(word 1, $(1)))
 	@mkdir -p $(patsubst %/.,%,.deps/$(@D))
 	$(call quiet,CC $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS)) -c $(FINAL_CFLAGS) $< -o $@ -MD -MP -MF .deps/$*.d
 
+CPPCHECK=cppcheck
+.stamps/cppcheck/%: %
+	@mkdir -p $(@D)
+	$(call quiet,CPPCHECK,$<) --template=gcc --error-exitcode=1 --quiet $<
+	@touch $@
+
+CLEAN := $(CLEAN) .stamps
+
 .PHONY : clean
 clean:
 	rm -rf $(CLEAN)
@@ -284,6 +292,16 @@ CLEAN := $(CLEAN) .deps
 
 DISTCLEAN := $(DISTCLEAN) .first-build-message Makefile.config sh.config
 
+CPPCHECK_STAMPS := $(SRCS:%=.stamps/cppcheck/%)
+.PHONY: cppcheck
+ifeq ($(HAVE_CPPCHECK),1)
+cppcheck: ${CPPCHECK_STAMPS}
+else
+cppcheck:
+	@echo "No cppcheck found during configure; skipping static checking"
+endif
+
+
 DEPS := $(SRCS:%.c=.deps/%.d)
 DEPS := $(DEPS:%.cc=.deps/%.d)
 -include $(DEPS)
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c5e2ffed..364854f3 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -646,6 +646,14 @@ if [ $WITH_DESKTOP = "1" ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
+printf "Checking for cppcheck... "
+if command -v cppcheck > /dev/null; then
+    have_cppcheck=1
+    printf "Yes.\n"
+else
+    printf "No.\n"
+fi
+
 libdir_in_ldconfig=0
 
 printf "Checking which platform we are on... "
@@ -1065,6 +1073,9 @@ zsh_completion_dir = ${ZSHCOMLETIONDIR:=\$(prefix)/share/zsh/functions/Completio
 # build its own version)
 HAVE_CANONICALIZE_FILE_NAME = ${have_canonicalize_file_name}
 
+# Whether the cppcheck static checker is available
+HAVE_CPPCHECK = ${have_cppcheck}
+
 # Whether the getline function is available (if not, then notmuch will
 # build its own version)
 HAVE_GETLINE = ${have_getline}