diff --git a/panda/src/mathutil/fftCompressor.cxx b/panda/src/mathutil/fftCompressor.cxx
index 7023fb6ea9..43728635e5 100644
--- a/panda/src/mathutil/fftCompressor.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/mathutil/fftCompressor.cxx
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_FFTW
 
 #ifdef IS_OSX
+//  hack.....
+// this is a hack to help interigate sort out a macro 
+// in the system poll and select definitions 
+//    
+#ifdef howmany
+#undef howmany
+#endif
 #include <drfftw.h>
 #else
 #include <rfftw.h>