diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 668eeb892..778c66cff 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -185,16 +185,11 @@ FIXPATHSCMD	= $(SED) $(PATHSUBS)
 FIXALGORITHMSCMD= $(SHELL) $(srcdir)/fixalgorithms $(SED) \
 		     @UNSUPPORTED_ALGORITHMS@
 
-all: configure-check $(CONFIGFILES) $(MANPAGES) $(TARGETS)
+all: $(CONFIGFILES) $(MANPAGES) $(TARGETS)
 
 $(LIBSSH_OBJS): Makefile.in config.h
 $(SSHOBJS): Makefile.in config.h
 $(SSHDOBJS): Makefile.in config.h
-configure-check: $(srcdir)/configure
-
-$(srcdir)/configure: configure.ac $(srcdir)/m4/*.m4
-	@echo "ERROR: configure is out of date; please run ${AUTORECONF} (and configure)" 1>&2
-	@exit 1
 
 .c.o:
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 33f9b5f9e..87fad7084 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@
 AC_INIT([OpenSSH], [Portable], [openssh-unix-dev@mindrot.org])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([ssh.c])
+
+# Check for stale configure as early as possible.
+for i in $srcdir/configure.ac $srcdir/m4/*.m4; do
+	if test "$i" -nt "$srcdir/configure"; then
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([$i newer than configure, run autoreconf])
+	fi
+done
+
 AC_LANG([C])
 
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])