diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fe99f62d94b..b2cd31ea0e9 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -12237,9 +12237,6 @@ if test "$FONTFORGE" != "false" -a -n "$FREETYPELIBS"
 then
   FONTSSUBDIRS="fonts"
 
-  wine_cv_msg_fonts=no
-else
-  wine_cv_msg_fonts=yes
 fi
 
 { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for parport header/ppdev.h" >&5
@@ -22836,10 +22833,15 @@ then
   exitcode=1
 fi
 
-if test "$wine_cv_msg_fonts" = "yes"
+if test -z "$FONTSSUBDIRS"
 then
   echo
-  echo "*** Warning: FreeType or FontForge is missing."
+  if test "$FONTFORGE" = "false"
+  then
+    echo "*** Warning: FontForge is missing."
+  else
+    echo "*** Warning: FreeType is missing."
+  fi
   echo "*** Fonts will not be built. Dialog text may be invisible or unaligned."
   exitcode=1
 fi
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ba6b1b3cc85..81c79b2b04a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -719,9 +719,6 @@ dnl Only build the fonts dir if we have both freetype and fontforge
 if test "$FONTFORGE" != "false" -a -n "$FREETYPELIBS"
 then
   AC_SUBST(FONTSSUBDIRS,"fonts")
-  wine_cv_msg_fonts=no
-else
-  wine_cv_msg_fonts=yes
 fi
 
 dnl **** Check for parport (currently Linux only) ****
@@ -1854,10 +1851,15 @@ then
   exitcode=1
 fi
 
-if test "$wine_cv_msg_fonts" = "yes"
+if test -z "$FONTSSUBDIRS"
 then
   echo
-  echo "*** Warning: FreeType or FontForge is missing."
+  if test "$FONTFORGE" = "false"
+  then
+    echo "*** Warning: FontForge is missing."
+  else
+    echo "*** Warning: FreeType is missing."
+  fi
   echo "*** Fonts will not be built. Dialog text may be invisible or unaligned."
   exitcode=1
 fi