diff --git a/libsrc/common/Makefile b/libsrc/common/Makefile
index 24d4dc963..cb77af872 100644
--- a/libsrc/common/Makefile
+++ b/libsrc/common/Makefile
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ C_OBJS =	_afailed.o	\
                 strftime.o      \
 		strxfrm.o	\
 		strtok.o	\
+                system.o        \
                 timezone.o      \
 		vprintf.o       \
                 vsscanf.o
diff --git a/libsrc/common/system.c b/libsrc/common/system.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c4c8bd3c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libsrc/common/system.c
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * system.c
+ *
+ * Stefan Haubenthal, 2003-05-26
+ * Ullrich von Bassewitz, 2003-05-27
+ */
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+int system (const char* s)
+{
+    if (s == NULL) {
+        return 0;               /* no shell */
+    } else {
+        return -1;              /* always fail */
+    }
+}
+
+
+