--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -622,9 +622,10 @@ elif test "x$with_curl" != "xauto"; then
   fi
   AC_CHECK_HEADER(curl/curl.h, [libcurl=yes])
   if test "x$libcurl" = "xyes"; then
-      AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether with-curl compiles and links fine])
-      AC_TRY_LINK([], [curl_easy_init();], [libcurl=yes], [libcurl=no])
-      AC_MSG_RESULT([$libcurl])
+      AC_CHECK_LIB([curl], [curl_easy_init],
+      	[libcurl=yes; LIBS="$LIBS -lcurl -lz";],
+      	[libcurl=no],
+	[-lz])
   fi
    if test "x$libcurl" = "xno"; then
       CPPFLAGS="$OCPPFLAGS"
@@ -680,9 +681,8 @@ elif test "x$with_expat" != "xauto"; the
   fi
   AC_CHECK_HEADER(expat.h, [libexpat=yes])
   if test "x$libexpat" = "xyes"; then
-      AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether with-expat compiles and links fine])
-      AC_TRY_LINK([], [XML_SetElementHandler();], [libexpat=yes], [libexpat=no])
-      AC_MSG_RESULT([$libexpat])
+      AC_CHECK_LIB([expat], [XML_SetElementHandler],
+      	[libexpat=yes;LIBS="$LIBS -lexpat";], [libexpat=no])
   fi
    if test "x$libexpat" = "xno"; then
       CPPFLAGS="$OCPPFLAGS"
@@ -691,13 +691,10 @@ elif test "x$with_expat" != "xauto"; the
 else
   AC_CHECK_HEADER(expat.h, [libexpat=yes])
   if test "x$libexpat" = "xyes"; then
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether libexpat compiles and links fine])
-    OLDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
-    LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -lexpat"
-    AC_TRY_LINK([], [XML_SetElementHandler();], [libexpat=yes], [libexpat=no])
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([$libexpat])
-    if test "x$libexpat" = "xno"; then
-      LDFLAGS="$OLDFLAGS"
+      AC_CHECK_LIB([expat], [XML_SetElementHandler],
+      	[libexpat=yes;LIBS="$LIBS -lexpat"], [libexpat=no])
+    if test "x$libexpat" = "xyes"; then
+      LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -lexpat"
     fi
   fi
 fi