diff --git a/cf/check-compile-et.m4 b/cf/check-compile-et.m4
index 47ec13788..186d3a83d 100644
--- a/cf/check-compile-et.m4
+++ b/cf/check-compile-et.m4
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ krb_cv_compile_et="no"
 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)
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether compile_et has the features we need)
 cat > conftest.et <<'EOF'
 error_table conf
 prefix CONFTEST
@@ -19,31 +19,46 @@ error_code CODE2, "CODE2"
 end
 EOF
 if ${COMPILE_ET} conftest.et >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-	AC_MSG_RESULT(enough)
         krb_cv_compile_et="yes"
-else
-	AC_MSG_RESULT(insufficient)
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT(${krb_cv_compile_et})
 rm -fr conftest*
 fi
 
-AC_CHECK_LIB(com_err, error_message,
-  [krb_cv_com_err="yes"],
-  [krb_cv_com_err="no"])
+if test "${krb_cv_compile_et}" = "yes"; then
+  dnl Since compile_et seems to work, let's check libcom_err
+  krb_cv_save_LIBS="${LIBS}"
+  LIBS="${LIBS} -lcom_err"
+  if test -d "/usr/include/et"; then
+    CPPFLAGS="-I/usr/include/et ${CPPFLAGS}"
+  fi
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(for com_err)
+  AC_TRY_LINK([#include <com_err.h>],[
+    const char *p;
+    p = error_message(0);
+  ],[krb_cv_com_err="yes"],[krb_cv_com_err="no"])
+  AC_MSG_RESULT(${krb_cv_com_err})
+  LIBS="${krb_cv_save_LIBS}"
+else
+  dnl Since compile_et doesn't work, forget about libcom_err
+  krb_cv_com_err="no"
+fi
 
-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
+dnl Only use the system's com_err if we found compile_et, libcom_err, and
+dnl com_err.h.
+if test "${krb_cv_com_err}" = "yes"; then
     DIR_com_err=""
     LIB_com_err="-lcom_err"
     LIB_com_err_a=""
     LIB_com_err_so=""
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE(Using the already-installed com_err)
 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"
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE(Using our own com_err)
 fi
 AC_SUBST(DIR_com_err)
 AC_SUBST(LIB_com_err)