diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7a354dc..98f25db 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -17,9 +17,33 @@ AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.11 -Wall -Werror])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])
 
 # Look for the program "guile" and its site directory:
-GUILE_PROGS
-GUILE_SITE_DIR
-GUILE_MODULE_AVAILABLE([GUILE_READLINE_AVAILABLE], [(ice-9 readline)])
+# (Don't use the guile.m4 macros, as they require guile-config,
+# but we aren't linking into guile, and guile-config doesn't
+# come standard on all "guile" packages on all distros)
+AC_PATH_PROG(GUILE,guile)
+AS_IF([test x"$GUILE" = x],[#then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([guile required but not found])
+],[#else
+  :
+])
+AC_SUBST(GUILE)
+# Normally GUILE_SITE_DIR computes using guile-config, but
+# we can query the guile interpreter itself directly anyway.
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Guile site directory])
+GUILE_SITE=`[$GUILE] -q -c "(display (%site-dir))"`
+AC_MSG_RESULT($GUILE_SITE)
+AC_SUBST(GUILE_SITE)
+# The below is GUILE_MODULE_AVAILABLE code, but expanded and
+# with AC_REQUIRE([GUILE_PROGS]) removed.
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if (ice-9 readline) is available])
+[$GUILE] -q -c "(use-modules (ice-9 readline)) (exit ((lambda () 0)))" > /dev/null 2>&1
+GUILE_READLINE_AVAILABLE=$?
+AS_IF([test "$GUILE_READLINE_AVAILABLE" = "0"],[#then
+  GUILE_READLINE_AVAILABLE=yes
+],[#else
+  GUILE_READLINE_AVAILABLE=no
+])
+AC_MSG_RESULT($GUILE_READLINE_AVAILABLE)
 AC_SUBST([GUILE_READLINE_AVAILABLE])
 
 # Perhaps check for: (more) programs, libraries, header files, types,