diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 25555d0b..14ad66f2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -687,18 +687,18 @@ fi
 # both client and server.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([debuginfod],AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-debuginfod], [Build debuginfod server and client]))
 AC_PROG_CXX
-AX_CXX_COMPILE_STDCXX(11, noext, optional)
 AS_IF([test "x$enable_debuginfod" != "xno"], [
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([checking debuginfod dependencies, disable to skip])
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE([checking debuginfod C++11 support, --disable-debuginfod to skip])
+    AX_CXX_COMPILE_STDCXX(11, noext, mandatory)
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE([checking debuginfod dependencies, --disable-debuginfod to skip])
     enable_debuginfod=yes # presume success
     PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
-    if test "x$ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_CXX" = "x"; then enable_debuginfod=no; fi
     PKG_CHECK_MODULES([libmicrohttpd],[libmicrohttpd >= 0.9.33],[],[enable_debuginfod=no])
     PKG_CHECK_MODULES([libcurl],[libcurl >= 7.29.0],[],[enable_debuginfod=no])
     PKG_CHECK_MODULES([sqlite3],[sqlite3 >= 3.7.17],[],[enable_debuginfod=no])
     PKG_CHECK_MODULES([libarchive],[libarchive >= 3.1.2],[],[enable_debuginfod=no])
     if test "x$enable_debuginfod" = "xno"; then
-      AC_MSG_ERROR([C++ compiler or dependencies not found, use --disable-debuginfod to disable.])
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([dependencies not found, use --disable-debuginfod to disable.])
     fi
 ])