diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a98fba1a4..7069aef63 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -26668,7 +26668,8 @@ $as_echo "#define SDL_TIMER_UNIX 1" >>confdefs.h
                 ac_default_prefix=$BUILD_PREFIX
             fi
         fi
-        EXTRA_CFLAGS="$EXTRA_CFLAGS -DOS2EMX_PLAIN_CHAR"
+        enable_static=no # disable static builds
+        EXTRA_CFLAGS="$EXTRA_CFLAGS -DBUILD_SDL -DOS2EMX_PLAIN_CHAR"
         CheckOS2
         CheckDeclarationAfterStatement
         CheckDummyVideo
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 442e406e1..551a5de86 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4407,7 +4407,8 @@ case "$host" in
                 ac_default_prefix=$BUILD_PREFIX
             fi
         fi
-        EXTRA_CFLAGS="$EXTRA_CFLAGS -DOS2EMX_PLAIN_CHAR"
+        enable_static=no # disable static builds
+        EXTRA_CFLAGS="$EXTRA_CFLAGS -DBUILD_SDL -DOS2EMX_PLAIN_CHAR"
         CheckOS2
         CheckDeclarationAfterStatement
         CheckDummyVideo