diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c055187d..44f4d6d4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -648,27 +648,36 @@ dnl
 AC_ARG_WITH(libuuid, AC_HELP_STRING([--without-libuuid],
                                     [Generate UUIDs for WARC files via libuuid]))
 
-AS_IF([test "X$with_libuuid" != "Xno"],[
+AS_IF([test "x$with_libuuid" = xyes], [
+  # libuuid was explicitly requested
   PKG_CHECK_MODULES([UUID], uuid, [
     LIBS="$UUID_LIBS $LIBS"
     CFLAGS="$UUID_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
-    AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBUUID], [1], [Define if using libuuid.])
+    uuid_mode=1
+  ], [
+    AC_SEARCH_LIBS(uuid_generate, uuid,
+      [uuid_mode=1],
+      [AC_MSG_ERROR(*** libuuid was explicitly requested but wasn't found.)])
+  ])
+], [test "x$with_libuuid" = xno], [
+  # libuuid was explicitly *not* requested
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER(uuid.h,
+    AC_CHECK_FUNC(uuid_create, [uuid_mode=2]))
+], [
+  # default:
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER(uuid.h, [
+    AC_CHECK_FUNC(uuid_create, [uuid_mode=2])
   ], [
     AC_CHECK_HEADER(uuid/uuid.h,
-                    AC_CHECK_LIB(uuid, uuid_generate,
-                      [LIBS="${LIBS} -luuid"
-                       AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBUUID], 1,
-                                 [Define if libuuid is available.])
-                      ])
-    )
+      AC_SEARCH_LIBS(uuid_generate, uuid, [uuid_mode=1]))
   ])
 ])
 
-AC_CHECK_HEADER(uuid.h,
-  AC_CHECK_FUNC(uuid_create,
-    [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_UUID_CREATE], 1, [Define if uuid_create is available.])]
-  )
-)
+AS_IF([test "x$uuid_mode" = x1], [
+  AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBUUID], [1], [Define if using libuuid.])
+], [test "x$uuid_mode" = x2], [
+  AC_DEFINE([HAVE_UUID_CREATE], 1, [Define if uuid_create is available.])
+])
 
 dnl
 dnl Check for PCRE