--- pilot-link/configure.ac
+++ pilot-link/configure.ac
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@
 dnl Eat -Werror so configure will run properly, if the user provided it
 enable_werror=no
 save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
-CFLAGS=$(echo $save_CFLAGS | sed -e s/-Werror//g)
-CXXFLAGS=$(echo $save_CXXFLAGS | sed -e s/-Werror//g)
+CFLAGS=$(echo "$save_CFLAGS" | sed -e 's/-Werror[^=]//g')
+CXXFLAGS=$(echo "$save_CXXFLAGS" | sed -e 's/-Werror[^=]//g')
 if test "x$CFLAGS" != "x$save_CFLAGS"; then
 	dnl -Werror was set; treat it as implicit --enable-werror below
 	enable_werror="yes"
@@ -392,11 +392,8 @@
 		dnl Determine if system popt is good enough
 		save_LIBS="$LIBS"
 		AC_CHECK_HEADER(popt.h,
-			AC_CHECK_DECL(POPT_BIT_SET,
-				AC_CHECK_LIB(popt, poptStrippedArgv,,
-					[with_included_popt="yes"]),
-				[with_included_popt="yes"],
-				[#include <popt.h>]),
+			AC_CHECK_LIB(popt, poptStrippedArgv,,
+				[with_included_popt="yes"]),
 			[with_included_popt="yes"]
 		)
 		LIBS="$save_LIBS"