diff --git a/README b/README
index 2bb363c..5b5ecb5 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ COMMANDS
 OPTIONS
 -------
 
-  -a, --hashalgo     sha1 (default), sha224, sha256, sha384, sha512
+  -a, --hashalgo     sha1, sha224, sha256, sha384, sha512
   -s, --imasig       make IMA signature
   -d, --imahash      make IMA hash
   -f, --sigfile      store IMA signature in .sig file instead of xattr
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a2d91b3..aff6fdf 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 EVMCTL_MANPAGE_DOCBOOK_XSL
+AX_DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO([$KERNEL_HEADERS])
 
 # for gcov
 #CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage"
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ echo
 echo
 echo	"Configuration:"
 echo	"          debug: $pkg_cv_enable_debug"
+echo	"   default-hash: $HASH_ALGO"
 echo	"   openssl-conf: $enable_openssl_conf"
 echo	"      tss2-esys: $ac_cv_lib_tss2_esys_Esys_Free"
 echo	" tss2-rc-decode: $ac_cv_lib_tss2_rc_Tss2_RC_Decode"
diff --git a/m4/default-hash-algo.m4 b/m4/default-hash-algo.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6164a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/default-hash-algo.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+dnl Copyright (c) 2021 Bruno Meneguele <bmeneg@redhat.com>
+dnl Check hash algorithm availability in the kernel
+dnl
+dnl $1 - $KERNEL_HEADERS
+
+AC_DEFUN([AX_DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO], [
+	HASH_INFO_HEADER="$1/include/uapi/linux/hash_info.h"
+
+	AC_ARG_WITH([default_hash],
+		AS_HELP_STRING([--with-default-hash=ALGORITHM], [specifies the default hash algorithm to be used]),
+		[HASH_ALGO=$withval],
+		[HASH_ALGO=sha1])
+
+	AC_PROG_SED()
+	HASH_ALGO="$(echo $HASH_ALGO | $SED 's/\(.*\)/\L\1\E/')"
+
+	AC_CHECK_HEADER([$HASH_INFO_HEADER],
+		[HAVE_HASH_INFO_HEADER=yes],
+		[AC_MSG_WARN([$HASH_INFO_HEADER not found.])])
+
+	if test "x$HAVE_HASH_INFO_HEADER" = "x"; then
+		AC_MSG_RESULT([using $HASH_ALGO algorithm as default hash algorith])
+		AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO, "$HASH_ALGO", [Define default hash algorithm])
+	else
+		AC_PROG_GREP()
+		$SED -n 's/HASH_ALGO_\(.*\),/\L\1\E/p' $HASH_INFO_HEADER | $GREP -w $HASH_ALGO > /dev/null
+		have_hash=$?
+
+		if test $have_hash -ne 0; then
+			AC_MSG_ERROR([$HASH_ALGO algorithm specified, but not provided by the kernel], 1)
+		else
+			AC_MSG_NOTICE([using $HASH_ALGO as default hash algorithm])
+			AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO, "$HASH_ALGO", [Define default hash algorithm])
+		fi
+	fi
+])
diff --git a/src/evmctl.c b/src/evmctl.c
index 05b3b17..8bdd348 100644
--- a/src/evmctl.c
+++ b/src/evmctl.c
@@ -2500,7 +2500,7 @@ static void usage(void)
 
 	printf(
 		"\n"
-		"  -a, --hashalgo     sha1 (default), sha224, sha256, sha384, sha512, streebog256, streebog512\n"
+		"  -a, --hashalgo     sha1, sha224, sha256, sha384, sha512, streebog256, streebog512 (default: %s)\n"
 		"  -s, --imasig       make IMA signature\n"
 		"  -d, --imahash      make IMA hash\n"
 		"  -f, --sigfile      store IMA signature in .sig file instead of xattr\n"
@@ -2538,7 +2538,7 @@ static void usage(void)
 		"\n"
 		"Environment variables:\n\n"
 		"EVMCTL_KEY_PASSWORD  : Private key password to use; do not use --pass option\n"
-		"\n");
+		"\n", DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO);
 }
 
 struct command cmds[] = {
diff --git a/src/imaevm.h b/src/imaevm.h
index 8792aa2..ec8551f 100644
--- a/src/imaevm.h
+++ b/src/imaevm.h
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@
 #define log_err(fmt, args...)		do_log(LOG_ERR, fmt, ##args)
 #define log_errno(fmt, args...)		do_log(LOG_ERR, fmt ": errno: %s (%d)\n", ##args, strerror(errno), errno)
 
+#ifndef DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO
+#define DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO "sha1"
+#endif
+
 #define	DATA_SIZE	4096
 #define SHA1_HASH_LEN   20
 
diff --git a/src/libimaevm.c b/src/libimaevm.c
index 6855184..388b726 100644
--- a/src/libimaevm.c
+++ b/src/libimaevm.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ static const char *const pkey_hash_algo_kern[PKEY_HASH__LAST] = {
 struct libimaevm_params imaevm_params = {
 	.verbose = LOG_INFO,
 	.x509 = 1,
-	.hash_algo = "sha1",
+	.hash_algo = DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO,
 };
 
 static void __attribute__ ((constructor)) libinit(void);