diff --git a/cf/Makefile.am.common b/cf/Makefile.am.common
index b0a34c7f9..f92c1db50 100644
--- a/cf/Makefile.am.common
+++ b/cf/Makefile.am.common
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ AM_CFLAGS = $(WFLAGS)
 
 CP	= cp
 
-COMPILE_ET = $(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/compile_et
-
 ## set build_HEADERZ to headers that should just be installed in build tree
 
 buildinclude = $(top_builddir)/include
diff --git a/cf/check-compile-et.m4 b/cf/check-compile-et.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c6f64fc81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cf/check-compile-et.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+dnl $Id$
+dnl
+dnl CHECK_COMPILE_ET
+AC_DEFUN([CHECK_COMPILE_ET], [
+
+AC_CHECK_PROG(COMPILE_ET, compile_et, [compile_et])
+
+krb_cv_compile_et="no"
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET}" = "compile_et"; then
+
+dnl We have compile_et.  Now let's see if it supports `prefix' and `index'.
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(compile_et features)
+cat > conftest.et <<'EOF'
+error_table conf
+prefix CONFTEST
+error_code CODE1, "CODE1"
+index 128
+error_code CODE2, "CODE2"
+end
+EOF
+if ${ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET} conftest.et >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(enough)
+        krb_cv_compile_et="yes"
+else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(insufficient)
+fi
+rm -fr conftest*
+
+else
+dnl We don't have compile_et, so we'll need to build our own.
+ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET="\$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/compile_et"
+COMPILE_ET="${ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET}"
+fi
+
+AC_CHECK_LIB(com_err, error_message,
+  [krb_cv_com_err="yes"],
+  [krb_cv_com_err="no"])
+
+dnl Only use the system's compile_et or libcom_err if we have them both.
+if test "${krb_cv_compile_et}" = "yes" && \
+   test "${krb_cv_com_err}" = "yes"; then
+    DIR_com_err=""
+    LIB_com_err="-lcom_err"
+    LIB_com_err_a=""
+    LIB_com_err_so=""
+else
+    DIR_com_err="com_err"
+    LIB_com_err="\$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/libcom_err.la"
+    LIB_com_err_a="\$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/.libs/libcom_err.a"
+    LIB_com_err_so="\$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/.libs/libcom_err.so"
+fi
+AC_SUBST(COMPILE_ET)
+AC_SUBST(DIR_com_err)
+AC_SUBST(LIB_com_err)
+AC_SUBST(LIB_com_err_a)
+AC_SUBST(LIB_com_err_so)
+
+])
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 1c55c18f2..8346c15b5 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -590,6 +590,9 @@ if test "$krb_cv_sys_streamspty" = yes; then
 	AC_DEFINE(STREAMSPTY, 1, [Define if you have streams ptys.])
 fi
 
+dnl Some operating systems already have com_err and compile_et
+CHECK_COMPILE_ET
+
 AC_AUTH_MODULES
 
 dnl This is done by AC_OUTPUT but we need the result here.
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 9e8ff3e64..eefb3c47a 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@ if DCE
 dir_dce = kdfs
 endif
 
-SUBDIRS = @DIR_roken@ vers editline com_err sl asn1 @DIR_des@ krb5 \
+SUBDIRS = @DIR_roken@ vers editline @DIR_com_err@ sl asn1 @DIR_des@ krb5 \
 	kafs hdb kadm5 gssapi auth $(dir_45) $(dir_otp) $(dir_dce)
diff --git a/lib/asn1/Makefile.am b/lib/asn1/Makefile.am
index 1ef326c9f..c222335b0 100644
--- a/lib/asn1/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/asn1/Makefile.am
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ YFLAGS = -d
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libasn1.la
 libasn1_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 5:0:0
 
-libasn1_la_LIBADD = ../com_err/libcom_err.la
+libasn1_la_LIBADD = @LIB_com_err@
 
 BUILT_SOURCES =			\
 	$(gen_files:.x=.c)	\
diff --git a/lib/auth/sia/Makefile.am b/lib/auth/sia/Makefile.am
index 9613bc819..6cd326ad3 100644
--- a/lib/auth/sia/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/auth/sia/Makefile.am
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ L = \
 	$(top_builddir)/lib/krb5/.libs/libkrb5.a	\
 	$(top_builddir)/lib/asn1/.libs/libasn1.a	\
 	$(LIB_krb4)					\
-	$(LIB_des_a)		\
-	$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/.libs/libcom_err.a	\
+	$(LIB_des_a)					\
+	$(LIB_com_err_a)				\
 	$(top_builddir)/lib/roken/.libs/libroken.a	\
 	$(LIB_getpwnam_r)				\
 	-lc
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ L_shared = \
 	$(top_builddir)/lib/krb5/.libs/libkrb5.so	\
 	$(top_builddir)/lib/asn1/.libs/libasn1.so	\
 	$(LIB_krb4)					\
-	$(LIB_des_so)		\
-	$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/.libs/libcom_err.so	\
+	$(LIB_des_so)					\
+	$(LIB_com_err_so)				\
 	$(top_builddir)/lib/roken/.libs/libroken.so	\
 	$(LIB_getpwnam_r)				\
 	-lc
diff --git a/lib/sl/Makefile.am b/lib/sl/Makefile.am
index 1e2c7972f..7bdffb2ed 100644
--- a/lib/sl/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/sl/Makefile.am
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ libsl_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 1:2:1
 libss_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 1:4:1
 
 libsl_la_LIBADD = @LIB_readline@
-libss_la_LIBADD = @LIB_readline@ ../com_err/libcom_err.la
+libss_la_LIBADD = @LIB_readline@ @LIB_com_err@
 
 libsl_la_SOURCES = sl_locl.h sl.c $(ES)
 libss_la_SOURCES = $(libsl_la_SOURCES) ss.c ss.h