diff --git a/cf/check-compile-et.m4 b/cf/check-compile-et.m4
index c6f64fc81..47ec13788 100644
--- a/cf/check-compile-et.m4
+++ b/cf/check-compile-et.m4
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_COMPILE_ET], [
 AC_CHECK_PROG(COMPILE_ET, compile_et, [compile_et])
 
 krb_cv_compile_et="no"
-if test "${ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET}" = "compile_et"; then
+if test "${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)
@@ -18,18 +18,13 @@ index 128
 error_code CODE2, "CODE2"
 end
 EOF
-if ${ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET} conftest.et >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+if ${COMPILE_ET} conftest.et >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 	AC_MSG_RESULT(enough)
         krb_cv_compile_et="yes"
 else
 	AC_MSG_RESULT(insufficient)
 fi
 rm -fr conftest*
-
-else
-dnl We don't have compile_et, so we'll need to build our own.
-ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET="\$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err/compile_et"
-COMPILE_ET="${ac_cv_prog_COMPILE_ET}"
 fi
 
 AC_CHECK_LIB(com_err, error_message,
@@ -44,12 +39,12 @@ if test "${krb_cv_compile_et}" = "yes" && \
     LIB_com_err_a=""
     LIB_com_err_so=""
 else
+    COMPILE_ET="\$(top_builddir)/lib/com_err_compile_et"
     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)