diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index ea83766f1f1..b63c38b2846 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
-dnl $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/configure.in,v 1.301.2.26 2007/09/14 23:19:58 scrappy Exp $
+dnl $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/configure.in,v 1.301.2.27 2007/11/26 12:09:58 petere Exp $
 dnl
 dnl Developers, please strive to achieve this order:
 dnl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ m4_undefine([infodir])
 m4_undefine([info])
 AC_SUBST(docdir)
 
-AC_PREREQ(2.53)
+m4_if(m4_defn([m4_PACKAGE_VERSION]), [2.53], [], [m4_fatal([Autoconf version 2.53 is required])])
 AC_COPYRIGHT([Copyright 2004 PostgreSQL Global Development Group])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/backend/access/common/heaptuple.c])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(config)