--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@
 # Since OpenLDAP libldap depends on it anyway, no additional dependency added.
 #
 AC_CHECK_LIB([lber], [ber_alloc], , [AC_MSG_WARN([liblber not found])])
+AC_CHECK_LIB([com_err], [error_message], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([libcom_err not found])])
 
 if test "$ac_cv_header_com_err_h"; then
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether com_err.h needs extern "C"]);
