diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b252ec66..c7509807c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,6 +31,24 @@ if(CCACHE_PROGRAM)
     set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY RULE_LAUNCH_COMPILE "${CCACHE_PROGRAM}")
 endif()
 
+if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "SunOS")
+# check if we have the (saner) emulation of epoll here
+# it's basically linux epoll but with a sane method of 
+# dealing with closed file handles that still exist in the
+# epoll set
+#
+# Note that the zombie of Oracle Solaris 2.11.x will NOT have
+# this, the header check is the only method we have to distinguish
+# them. -rick the svr4 guy
+  INCLUDE(CheckIncludeFiles)
+  CHECK_INCLUDE_FILES(sys/epoll.h SOLARIS_HAVE_EPOLL)
+  if (SOLARIS_HAVE_EPOLL)
+    message("Using fast emulation of Linux epoll(5) on Solaris.")
+  else()
+    message("Falling back to poll(2) based event loop.")
+  endif()
+endif()
+
 if(WIN32)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
   ENABLE_LANGUAGE(RC)
diff --git a/llarp/ev/ev.cpp b/llarp/ev/ev.cpp
index 8e51ff213..ebd8fed56 100644
--- a/llarp/ev/ev.cpp
+++ b/llarp/ev/ev.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 
 // apparently current Solaris will emulate epoll.
-#if __linux__ || __sun__
+#if __linux__ || SOLARIS_HAVE_EPOLL
 #include <ev/ev_epoll.hpp>
 #elif defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__OpenBSD__) || defined(__NetBSD__) \
     || (__APPLE__ && __MACH__)
diff --git a/vendor/libtuntap-master/tuntap-unix-sunos.c b/vendor/libtuntap-master/tuntap-unix-sunos.c
index 56664806b..809c85322 100644
--- a/vendor/libtuntap-master/tuntap-unix-sunos.c
+++ b/vendor/libtuntap-master/tuntap-unix-sunos.c
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
  * WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN
  * ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
+ *
+ * solaris port of libtuntap (c)2019 rick v
+ * all rights reserved, see LICENSE in top-level folder (../../LICENSE)
  */
 
 #include <sys/types.h>