diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 90320fb7..0c1efde1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -225,9 +225,6 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([M4], ["$M4"], [Define to the GNU M4 executable name.])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([M4_GNU_OPTION], ["$M4_GNU"], [Define to "-g" if GNU M4
 supports -g, otherwise to "".])
 AC_PATH_PROG([PERL], [perl])
-if test -z "$PERL"; then
-   AC_MSG_ERROR([perl not found])
-fi
 AM_MISSING_PROG([HELP2MAN], [help2man])
 AC_PATH_PROG([XSLTPROC], [xsltproc])
 AC_SUBST([XSLTPROC])