diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 3f823ed163..c20ed86ff3 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1875,6 +1875,10 @@ if test -z "$python"
 then
     error_exit "Python not found. Use --python=/path/to/python"
 fi
+if ! has "$make"
+then
+    error_exit "GNU make ($make) not found"
+fi
 
 # Note that if the Python conditional here evaluates True we will exit
 # with status 1 which is a shell 'false' value.