diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 545518962..9d684e487 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -176,6 +176,31 @@ AX_C_UNDERSCORES_TRAILING
 ## end of test for underscores
 #######################
 
+#######################
+# Sanity check the configured results
+#######################
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for sanity of prefix)
+if test X`echo "$prefix" | wc -w` != X1
+then
+AC_MSG_ERROR(cannot configure white space in prefix: $prefix)
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT(ok)
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for sanity of exec_prefix)
+if test X`echo "$exec_prefix" | wc -w` != X1
+then
+AC_MSG_ERROR(cannot configure white space in exec_prefix: $exec_prefix)
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT(ok)
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for sanity of libdir)
+if test X`echo "$libdir" | wc -w` != X1
+then
+AC_MSG_ERROR(cannot configure white space in libdir: $libdir)
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT(ok)
+
 # XXX disable tgt-fpga for the moment
 
 AC_OUTPUT(Makefile ivlpp/Makefile vvp/Makefile vpi/Makefile driver/Makefile driver-vpi/Makefile cadpli/Makefile libveriuser/Makefile tgt-null/Makefile tgt-stub/Makefile tgt-vvp/Makefile tgt-vhdl/Makefile tgt-fpga/Makefile tgt-verilog/Makefile tgt-pal/Makefile)