diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index fef05085..2faa2427 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -63,15 +63,14 @@ else revctrl=
 fi
 AC_SUBST(revctrl,$revctrl)
 
+# Not a program, but need to check this early
+MY_WINDOWS_API
+
 
 ### Checks for libraries
 ACX_PTHREAD
+LIBS="$LIBS_SOCKETS $LIBS"
 LIB_SOCKET_NSL
-# TODO merge this into LIB_SOCKET_NSL?
-case "$host_os" in
-*mingw32)
-    LIBS="-lws2_32 $LIBS" ;;
-esac
 
 # TODO turn this into a macro?
 save_LIBS=$LIBS
@@ -123,10 +122,9 @@ if test -z "$with_pthread" || test "$with_pthread" = no; then
     if test "$ac_cv_func_makecontext" = yes; then
 	empthread=LWP
     fi
-    case "$host_os" in
-    *mingw32)
-	empthread=Windows ;;
-    esac
+    if test $Windows_API = yes; then
+	empthread=Windows
+    fi
 fi
 if test -z "$empthread"; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([No usable thread package found])
diff --git a/m4/my_windows_api.m4 b/m4/my_windows_api.m4
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3404cdb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/my_windows_api.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+AC_DEFUN([MY_WINDOWS_API],
+[
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether compiling for Windows API])
+	AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
+		[AC_LANG_SOURCE([[#ifdef _WIN32
+#Here's a nickel, kid
+#endif]])],
+		[Windows_API=no],
+		[Windows_API=yes])
+	AC_MSG_RESULT([$Windows_API])
+	if test $Windows_API = yes; then
+		AC_DEFINE([WINDOWS], 1, [Define if compiling for Windows API])
+		LIBS_SOCKETS="-lws2_32"
+	else
+		LIBS_SOCKETS=
+	fi
+	AC_SUBST([LIBS_SOCKETS])
+])
diff --git a/src/client/configure.ac b/src/client/configure.ac
index 2dc6a677..7a74286a 100644
--- a/src/client/configure.ac
+++ b/src/client/configure.ac
@@ -47,36 +47,24 @@ AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 
+# Not a program, but need to check this early
+MY_WINDOWS_API
+
 
 ### Checks for libraries.
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS([setupterm], [termlib termcap curses ncurses])
+LIBS="$LIBS_SOCKETS $LIBS"
 LIB_SOCKET_NSL
-# TODO merge this into LIB_SOCKET_NSL?
-if test "$ac_cv_search_gethostbyname" = no; then
-    dnl Can't search ws2_32 for gethostbyname using AC_SEARCH_LIBS, because
-    dnl it requires #include <winsock2.h> to work.
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([for gethostbyname in -lws2_32])
-    save_LIBS=$LIBS
-    LIBS="-lws2_32 $LIBS"
-    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <winsock2.h>]],
-				    [[gethostbyname ("");]])],
-		   [ws2_res=yes], [LIBS=save_LIBS ws2_res=no])
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([$ws2_res])
-fi
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS([setupterm], [termlib termcap curses ncurses])
+
 
 ### Checks for header files.
 
 
 ### Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Windows])
-AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
-    [AC_LANG_SOURCE([[#ifdef _WIN32
-#Here's a nickel, kid
-#endif]])],
-    [Windows_res=no],
-    [Windows_res=yes CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -mthreads"])
-AC_MSG_RESULT([$Windows_res])
+if test "$Windows_API" = yes; then
+	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -mthreads"
+fi
 
 
 ### Checks for library functions.