diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 9ed8ddd85..4137c1d59 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -26,3 +26,26 @@ recvfrom (0, NULL, 0, 0, NULL, &arg);],[
      [Type of 6th argument to recvfrom()])
    AC_LANG_POP(C++)
 ])
+
+AC_DEFUN([PCAP_IS_SUITABLE],
+[
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(if libpcap version is suitable)
+  AC_TRY_RUN([
+#include <stdio.h>
+extern char pcap_version[];
+int main() {
+  int major, minor1, minor2;
+  sscanf(pcap_version,"%d.%d.%d", &major, &minor1, &minor2);
+  if (major > 0) 
+    exit(0);
+  if (minor1 < 9)
+    exit(1);
+  if (minor2 < 4)
+    exit(1);
+  exit(0);
+}
+  ],
+  [AC_MSG_RESULT(yes); $1],
+  [AC_MSG_RESULT(no); $2],
+  [AC_MSG_RESULT(cross-compiling -- assuming yes); $3])
+])
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 2f71cfb24..88be7057c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -7181,8 +7181,9 @@ if test $have_libpcap = yes; then
   # link with -lpcap for the purposes of this test
   LIBS_OLD="$LIBS"
   LIBS="$LIBS -lpcap"
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking if libpcap version is recent enough" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking if libpcap version is recent enough... " >&6; }
+
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking if libpcap version is suitable" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking if libpcap version is suitable... " >&6; }
   if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
   { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: cross-compiling -- assuming yes" >&5
 $as_echo "cross-compiling -- assuming yes" >&6; }; have_libpcap=yes
@@ -7207,6 +7208,7 @@ int main() {
     exit(1);
   exit(0);
 }
+
 _ACEOF
 rm -f conftest$ac_exeext
 if { (ac_try="$ac_link"
@@ -7246,7 +7248,8 @@ rm -f core *.core core.conftest.* gmon.out bb.out conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$a
 fi
 
 
-LIBS="$LIBS_OLD"
+
+  LIBS="$LIBS_OLD"
 fi
 
 if test $have_libpcap != yes; then
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 08c6f884a..d07ad7332 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -369,25 +369,8 @@ if test $have_libpcap = yes; then
   # link with -lpcap for the purposes of this test
   LIBS_OLD="$LIBS"
   LIBS="$LIBS -lpcap"
-  AC_MSG_CHECKING(if libpcap version is recent enough)
-  AC_TRY_RUN([
-#include <stdio.h>
-extern char pcap_version[];
-int main() {
-  int major, minor1, minor2;
-  sscanf(pcap_version,"%d.%d.%d", &major, &minor1, &minor2);
-  if (major > 0) 
-    exit(0);
-  if (minor1 < 9)
-    exit(1);
-  if (minor2 < 4)
-    exit(1);
-  exit(0);
-}],
-[AC_MSG_RESULT(yes); have_libpcap=yes],
-[AC_MSG_RESULT(no); have_libpcap=no],
-[AC_MSG_RESULT(cross-compiling -- assuming yes); have_libpcap=yes])
-LIBS="$LIBS_OLD"
+  PCAP_IS_SUITABLE([have_libpcap=yes], [have_libpcap=no], [have_libpcap=yes])
+  LIBS="$LIBS_OLD"
 fi
 
 if test $have_libpcap != yes; then