diff --git a/config/plugins.m4 b/config/plugins.m4
index 7ee8412aa37..513c690e1b5 100644
--- a/config/plugins.m4
+++ b/config/plugins.m4
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
 AC_DEFUN([AC_PLUGINS],
 [
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([plugins],
-AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-plugins], [Enable support for plugins (defaults no)]),
-[case "${enableval}" in
-  yes | "") plugins=yes ;;
-  no) plugins=no ;;
-  *) plugins=yes ;;
- esac],
-[plugins=no])
+  maybe_plugins=no
+  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([dlfcn.h], [maybe_plugins=yes], [], [AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT])
+  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([windows.h], [maybe_plugins=yes], [], [AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT])
+
+  AC_ARG_ENABLE([plugins],
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-plugins], [Enable support for plugins]),
+    [case "${enableval}" in
+      no) plugins=no ;;
+      *) plugins=yes
+         if test "$maybe_plugins" != "yes" ; then
+	   AC_MSG_ERROR([Building with plugin support requires a host that supports dlopen.])
+	 fi ;;
+     esac],
+    [plugins=$maybe_plugins]
+  )
+  if test "$plugins" = "yes"; then
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([dlopen], [dl])
+  fi
 ])