diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 2a800371b..222661877 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ m4_include([m4.include/mc-check-search-type.m4])
 m4_include([m4.include/ac-get-fs-info.m4])
 m4_include([m4.include/mc-use-termcap.m4])
 m4_include([m4.include/mc-with-screen.m4])
-m4_include([m4.include/ac-g-module-supported.m4])
+m4_include([m4.include/ac-glib.m4])
 m4_include([m4.include/mc-vfs.m4])
 m4_include([m4.include/mc-version.m4])
 m4_include([m4.include/mc-tests.m4])
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 24a297ec4..64b39f28b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -43,22 +43,7 @@ DX_INIT_DOXYGEN(mc,doxygen.cfg,devel)
 
 dnl PKG_CHECK_MODULES([CHECK], [check >= 0.9.4])
 
-dnl
-dnl First try glib 2.x.
-dnl Keep this check close to the beginning, so that the users
-dnl without any glib won't have their time wasted by other checks.
-dnl
-
-AC_ARG_WITH([glib_static],
-	    [  --with-glib-static       Link glib statically [[no]]])
-
-glib_found=no
-
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GLIB, [glib-2.0 >= 2.8], [glib_found=yes], [:])
-if test x"$glib_found" = xno; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([glib-2.0 not found or version too old (must be >= 2.8)])
-fi
-
+AC_CHECK_GLIB
 
 AC_HEADER_MAJOR
 AC_C_CONST
@@ -219,43 +204,11 @@ dnl
 dnl X11 support.
 dnl Used to read keyboard modifiers when running under X11.
 AC_PATH_XTRA
+
 dnl
 dnl Check if the gmodule functionality supported on this system.
 AC_G_MODULE_SUPPORTED
 
-dnl
-dnl Try to find static libraries for glib and gmodule.
-dnl
-if test x$with_glib_static = xyes; then
-    new_GLIB_LIBS=
-    for i in $GLIB_LIBS; do
-	case x$i in
-	x-lglib*)
-	    lib=glib ;;
-	x-lgmodule*)
-	    lib=gmodule ;;
-	*)
-	    lib=
-	    add="$i" ;;
-	esac
-
-	if test -n "$lib"; then
-	    lib1=`echo $i | sed 's/^-l//'`
-	    if test -f "$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib1}.a"; then
-		add="$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib1}.a"
-	    else
-		if test -f "$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib}.a"; then
-		    add="$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib}.a"
-		else
-		    AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find static $lib])
-		fi
-	    fi
-	fi
-	new_GLIB_LIBS="$new_GLIB_LIBS $add"
-    done
-    GLIB_LIBS="$new_GLIB_LIBS"
-fi
-
 dnl
 dnl Sequent wants getprocessstats
 dnl
diff --git a/m4.include/ac-g-module-supported.m4 b/m4.include/ac-glib.m4
similarity index 52%
rename from m4.include/ac-g-module-supported.m4
rename to m4.include/ac-glib.m4
index 359b6cf41..b3079ecc8 100644
--- a/m4.include/ac-g-module-supported.m4
+++ b/m4.include/ac-glib.m4
@@ -42,4 +42,57 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_G_MODULE_SUPPORTED], [
     fi
 
     AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_GMODULE], [test x"$g_module_supported" != x])
+
+    dnl
+    dnl Try to find static libraries for glib and gmodule.
+    dnl
+    if test x$with_glib_static = xyes; then
+        new_GLIB_LIBS=
+        for i in $GLIB_LIBS; do
+            case x$i in
+            x-lglib*)
+                lib=glib ;;
+            x-lgmodule*)
+                lib=gmodule ;;
+            *)
+                lib=
+                add="$i" ;;
+            esac
+
+            if test -n "$lib"; then
+                lib1=`echo $i | sed 's/^-l//'`
+                if test -f "$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib1}.a"; then
+                    add="$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib1}.a"
+                else
+                    if test -f "$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib}.a"; then
+                        add="$GLIB_LIBDIR/lib${lib}.a"
+                    else
+                        AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find static $lib])
+                    fi
+                fi
+            fi
+            new_GLIB_LIBS="$new_GLIB_LIBS $add"
+        done
+        GLIB_LIBS="$new_GLIB_LIBS"
+    fi
+
 ])
+
+AC_DEFUN([AC_CHECK_GLIB], [
+    dnl
+    dnl First try glib 2.x.
+    dnl Keep this check close to the beginning, so that the users
+    dnl without any glib won't have their time wasted by other checks.
+    dnl
+
+    AC_ARG_WITH([glib_static],
+        AC_HELP_STRING([--with-glib-static],[Link glib statically [[no]]]))
+
+    glib_found=no
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GLIB, [glib-2.0 >= 2.8], [glib_found=yes], [:])
+    if test x"$glib_found" = xno; then
+        AC_MSG_ERROR([glib-2.0 not found or version too old (must be >= 2.8)])
+    fi
+
+])
+