diff --git a/configure b/configure
index e0993aa96b..09aa7fca2f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2367,7 +2367,7 @@ if eval "test \"`echo '$ac_cv_lib_'$ac_lib_var`\" = yes"; then
   GUILELIBS="-lguile -ldl -lreadline -lqthreads"
 else
   echo "$ac_t""no" 1>&6
-echo "configure: warning: cannot link with guile" 1>&2
+{ echo "configure: error: cannot link with guile" 1>&2; exit 1; }
 fi
 
 fi
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index bfbac59672..be62bcb592 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB(guile, gh_enter,
 		GUILELIBS="-lguile -ldl -lreadline",
 		AC_CHECK_LIB(guile, gh_eval_file,
 			GUILELIBS="-lguile -ldl -lreadline -lqthreads",
-			AC_MSG_WARN(cannot link with guile),
+			AC_MSG_ERROR(cannot link with guile),
 			-ldl -lreadline -lqthreads),
 		-ldl -lreadline)
 	)