diff -ur pilot-link-0.12.5/configure.ac pilot-link-0.12.5_new/configure.ac
--- pilot-link-0.12.5/configure.ac	2009-09-14 13:44:01.000000000 +0200
+++ pilot-link-0.12.5_new/configure.ac	2022-01-24 18:16:00.474089490 +0100
@@ -390,15 +390,19 @@
 if test "x$enable_conduits" != "xno"; then
 	if test "x$with_included_popt" != "xyes"; then
 		dnl Determine if system popt is good enough
+        have_popt=no
 		save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-		AC_CHECK_HEADER(popt.h,
-			AC_CHECK_DECL(POPT_BIT_SET,
-				AC_CHECK_LIB(popt, poptStrippedArgv,,
-					[with_included_popt="yes"]),
-				[with_included_popt="yes"],
-				[#include <popt.h>]),
-			[with_included_popt="yes"]
-		)
+		AC_CHECK_HEADER(popt.h, have_popt=yes)
+        if test "$have_popt" = yes; then
+            AC_CHECK_DECL(POPT_BIT_SET,
+                          AC_CHECK_LIB(popt, 
+                                       poptStrippedArgv,, 
+                                       [with_included_popt="yes"]),
+                          [with_included_popt="yes"], 
+                          [#include <popt.h>])
+        else
+            [with_included_popt="yes"]
+        fi
 		LIBS="$save_LIBS"
 	fi