diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3c960a166f..f035a61ce3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -160,12 +160,14 @@ libqemustub.a: $(stub-obj-y)
 ######################################################################
 # Support building shared library libcacard
 
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_SMARTCARD_NSS),y)
 .PHONY: libcacard.la install-libcacard
 libcacard.la: $(oslib-obj-y) qemu-timer-common.o $(trace-obj-y)
 	$(call quiet-command,$(MAKE) $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) -C libcacard V="$(V)" TARGET_DIR="$*/" libcacard.la,)
 
 install-libcacard: libcacard.la
 	$(call quiet-command,$(MAKE) $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) -C libcacard V="$(V)" TARGET_DIR="$*/" install-libcacard,)
+endif
 
 ######################################################################
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 35762f5b5d..39358add77 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2824,7 +2824,8 @@ EOF
     if test "$werror" = "yes"; then
         test_cflags="-Werror $test_cflags"
     fi
-    if $pkg_config --atleast-version=3.12.8 nss >/dev/null 2>&1 && \
+    if test -n "$libtool" &&
+            $pkg_config --atleast-version=3.12.8 nss >/dev/null 2>&1 && \
       compile_prog "$test_cflags" "$libcacard_libs"; then
         smartcard_nss="yes"
         QEMU_CFLAGS="$QEMU_CFLAGS $libcacard_cflags"
diff --git a/libcacard/Makefile b/libcacard/Makefile
index 08a47e0207..a526eaeabd 100644
--- a/libcacard/Makefile
+++ b/libcacard/Makefile
@@ -31,13 +31,6 @@ all: libcacard.la libcacard.pc
 #########################################################################
 # Rules for building libcacard standalone library
 
-ifeq ($(LIBTOOL),)
-libcacard.la:
-	@echo "libtool is missing, please install and rerun configure"; exit 1
-
-install-libcacard:
-	@echo "libtool is missing, please install and rerun configure"; exit 1
-else
 libcacard.la: $(libcacard.lib-y) $(QEMU_OBJS_LIB)
 	$(call quiet-command,$(LIBTOOL) --mode=link --tag=CC $(CC) -rpath $(libdir) -o $@ $^ $(libcacard_libs),"  lt LINK $@")
 
@@ -63,4 +56,3 @@ install-libcacard: libcacard.pc libcacard.la vscclient
 	for inc in *.h; do \
 		$(INSTALL_DATA) $(libcacard_srcpath)/$$inc "$(DESTDIR)$(libcacard_includedir)"; \
 	done
-endif
diff --git a/rules.mak b/rules.mak
index 5865e9ba93..4297345474 100644
--- a/rules.mak
+++ b/rules.mak
@@ -21,11 +21,7 @@ QEMU_CFLAGS += -I$(<D) -I$(@D)
 	$(call quiet-command,$(CC) $(QEMU_INCLUDES) $(QEMU_CFLAGS) $(QEMU_DGFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<,"  CC    $(TARGET_DIR)$@")
 
 ifeq ($(LIBTOOL),)
-%.lo: %.c
-	@echo "missing libtool. please install and rerun configure"; exit 1
-%.lo: %.dtrace
-	@echo "missing libtool. please install and rerun configure."; exit 1
-
+LIBTOOL = /bin/false
 LINK = $(call quiet-command,$(CC) $(QEMU_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ \
        $(sort $(filter %.o, $1)) $(filter-out %.o, $1) \
        $(LIBS),"  LINK  $(TARGET_DIR)$@")