diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1b5fa5ae93..f35d3f198f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -320,8 +320,8 @@ linux="no"
 solaris="no"
 profiler="no"
 softmmu="yes"
-linux_user="no"
-bsd_user="no"
+linux_user=""
+bsd_user=""
 pkgversion=""
 pie=""
 qom_cast_debug="yes"
@@ -538,7 +538,6 @@ gnu/kfreebsd)
 ;;
 freebsd)
   bsd="yes"
-  bsd_user="yes"
   make="${MAKE-gmake}"
   # needed for kinfo_getvmmap(3) in libutil.h
 ;;
@@ -583,7 +582,6 @@ haiku)
 ;;
 linux)
   linux="yes"
-  linux_user="yes"
   vhost_user=${default_feature:-yes}
 ;;
 esac
@@ -1259,18 +1257,26 @@ if eval test -z "\${cross_cc_$cpu}"; then
     cross_cc_vars="$cross_cc_vars cross_cc_${cpu}"
 fi
 
-# For user-mode emulation the host arch has to be one we explicitly
-# support, even if we're using TCI.
-if [ "$ARCH" = "unknown" ]; then
-  bsd_user="no"
-  linux_user="no"
-fi
-
 default_target_list=""
 deprecated_targets_list=ppc64abi32-linux-user
 deprecated_features=""
 mak_wilds=""
 
+if [ "$linux_user" != no ]; then
+    if [ "$targetos" = linux ] && [ -d $source_path/linux-user/include/host/$cpu ]; then
+        linux_user=yes
+    elif [ "$linux_user" = yes ]; then
+        error_exit "linux-user not supported on this architecture"
+    fi
+fi
+if [ "$bsd_user" != no ]; then
+    if [ "$bsd_user" = "" ]; then
+        test $targetos = freebsd && bsd_user=yes
+    fi
+    if [ "$bsd_user" = yes ] && ! [ -d $source_path/bsd-user/$targetos ]; then
+        error_exit "bsd-user not supported on this host OS"
+    fi
+fi
 if [ "$softmmu" = "yes" ]; then
     mak_wilds="${mak_wilds} $source_path/configs/targets/*-softmmu.mak"
 fi