diff --git a/build/openldap.m4 b/build/openldap.m4
index 18013cc9a73ae42247e23415c48a085dbe54c91f..060c797c2d727c6f7f81e02804e28313f33a2d6a 100644
--- a/build/openldap.m4
+++ b/build/openldap.m4
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ EOF
 			done
 			rm -f conftest*
 		])
+		test "$ol_cv_mkdep" = no && OL_MKDEP=":"
 	else
 		cc_cv_mkdep=yes
 		OL_MKDEP_FLAGS="${MKDEP_FLAGS}"
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 8793a97b4ecf15ea1effcdf0feb7734a1c87493c..0edfa1ab8fe05a5fd3cf97bf3c20a4111c34722f 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -3102,7 +3102,11 @@ fi
 /* end of generated file */
 ENDX
 
-echo Please run \"make depend\" to build dependencies
+if test "${ol_cv_mkdep}" = no; then
+	echo '(Do not "make depend"; we do not know how to build dependencies)'
+else
+	echo 'Please run "make depend" to build dependencies'
+fi
 ]],[[
 STATIC_BACKENDS="$SLAPD_STATIC_BACKENDS"
 STATIC_OVERLAYS="$SLAPD_STATIC_OVERLAYS"