diff --git a/config.m4 b/config.m4
index 1e3c488..a192f5d 100644
--- a/config.m4
+++ b/config.m4
@@ -130,6 +130,54 @@ int main ()
     AC_MSG_ERROR([could not determine libv8 version])
   fi
 
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([for v8::internal::ReadNatives])
+  AC_TRY_LINK([
+    namespace v8 {
+      namespace internal {
+        void ReadNatives();
+      }
+    }], [v8::internal::ReadNatives();], [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([found (using snapshots)])
+      AC_DEFINE([PHP_V8_USE_EXTERNAL_STARTUP_DATA], [1], [Whether V8 requires (and can be provided with custom versions of) external startup data])
+
+      SEARCH_PATH="$V8_DIR/lib"
+
+      AC_MSG_CHECKING([for natives_blob.bin])
+      SEARCH_FOR="natives_blob.bin"
+
+      for i in $SEARCH_PATH ; do
+        if test -r $i/$SEARCH_FOR; then
+          AC_MSG_RESULT([found ($i/$SEARCH_FOR)])
+          AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([PHP_V8_NATIVES_BLOB_PATH], "$i/$SEARCH_FOR", [Full path to natives_blob.bin file])
+          native_blob_found=1
+        fi
+      done
+
+      if test -z "$native_blob_found"; then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([Please provide V8 native blob as needed])
+      fi
+
+      AC_MSG_CHECKING([for snapshot_blob.bin])
+      SEARCH_FOR="snapshot_blob.bin"
+
+      for i in $SEARCH_PATH ; do
+        if test -r $i/$SEARCH_FOR; then
+          AC_MSG_RESULT([found ($i/$SEARCH_FOR)])
+          AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([PHP_V8_SNAPSHOT_BLOB_PATH], "$i/$SEARCH_FOR", [Full path to snapshot_blob.bin file])
+          snapshot_blob_found=1
+        fi
+      done
+
+      if test -z "$snapshot_blob_found"; then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([Please provide V8 snapshot blob as needed])
+      fi
+
+    ], [
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([not found (snapshots disabled)])
+    ])
+
   AC_LANG_RESTORE
   LIBS=$old_LIBS
   LDFLAGS=$old_LDFLAGS
diff --git a/v8js_v8.cc b/v8js_v8.cc
index 8b52063..0b1b4b3 100644
--- a/v8js_v8.cc
+++ b/v8js_v8.cc
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ void v8js_v8_init(TSRMLS_D) /* {{{ */
 	}
 #endif
 
+#ifdef PHP_V8_USE_EXTERNAL_STARTUP_DATA
+	v8::V8::InitializeExternalStartupData(
+		PHP_V8_NATIVES_BLOB_PATH,
+		PHP_V8_SNAPSHOT_BLOB_PATH
+	);
+#endif
+
 #if !defined(_WIN32) && PHP_V8_API_VERSION >= 3029036
 	v8js_process_globals.v8_platform = v8::platform::CreateDefaultPlatform();
 	v8::V8::InitializePlatform(v8js_process_globals.v8_platform);