diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 66ca5a625..bbe597b2e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -707,14 +707,11 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([dirname], [],
         [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_DIRNAME], [1], [Have dirname in libgen])
          LIBS="$LIBS -lgen"])])
 
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([getopt.h], [getopt_h=true])
-AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_GETOPT_H_WANTED], [test "x$getopt_h" = xtrue])
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([getopt.h])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_GETOPT_H], [test "x$ac_cv_header_getopt_h" = xyes])
 
-AC_CHECK_FUNC([getopt_long], [getopt_long=true])
-if test "x$getopt_long" = xtrue; then
-    AC_DEFINE([HAVE_GETOPT_LONG], [1], [Have fcn getopt_long()])
-fi
-AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_GETOPT_LONG_WANTED], [test "x$getopt_long" = xtrue])
+AC_CHECK_FUNC([getopt_long], [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_GETOPT_LONG], [1], [Have fcn getopt_long()])])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_GETOPT_LONG], [test "x$ac_cv_func_getopt_long" = xyes])
 
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([NGSPICEBINDIR], ["`echo $dprefix/bin`"], [Define the directory for executables])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([NGSPICEDATADIR], ["`echo $dprefix/share/ngspice`"], [Define the directory for architecture independent data files])
diff --git a/src/misc/Makefile.am b/src/misc/Makefile.am
index f474b8494..79e2c9523 100644
--- a/src/misc/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/misc/Makefile.am
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@ libmisc_la_SOURCES = \
 
 
 ### getopt_long_bsd.c ###
-if !HAVE_GETOPT_H_WANTED
-if !HAVE_GETOPT_LONG_WANTED
+if !HAVE_GETOPT_H
+if !HAVE_GETOPT_LONG
 libmisc_la_SOURCES += getopt_long_bsd.c getopt_bsd.h
 else
 libmisc_la_SOURCES += getopt_long_bsd.c getopt_bsd.h
 endif
 else
-if !HAVE_GETOPT_LONG_WANTED
+if !HAVE_GETOPT_LONG
 libmisc_la_SOURCES += getopt_long_bsd.c getopt_bsd.h
 endif
 endif