diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fe8725bd9..2ca4198ac 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -7690,15 +7690,14 @@ fi
 
 if test "$with_nmap_update" != "no"; then
   have_libsvn=yes
-  if test "$have_libsvn" = "yes"; then
-    old_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-    CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $($apr_config --cppflags --includes)"
-    ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "svn_client.h" "ac_cv_header_svn_client_h" "$ac_includes_default"
+  old_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
+  CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $($apr_config --cppflags --includes)"
+  ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "svn_client.h" "ac_cv_header_svn_client_h" "$ac_includes_default"
 if test "x$ac_cv_header_svn_client_h" = xyes; then :
 
 else
 
-      ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "subversion-1/svn_client.h" "ac_cv_header_subversion_1_svn_client_h" "$ac_includes_default"
+                   ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "subversion-1/svn_client.h" "ac_cv_header_subversion_1_svn_client_h" "$ac_includes_default"
 if test "x$ac_cv_header_subversion_1_svn_client_h" = xyes; then :
 
 else
@@ -7710,10 +7709,9 @@ fi
 fi
 
 
-    CPPFLAGS="$old_CPPFLAGS"
-  fi
+  CPPFLAGS="$old_CPPFLAGS"
   if test "$have_libsvn" = "yes"; then
-    { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for svn_client_create_context in -lsvn_client-1" >&5
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for svn_client_create_context in -lsvn_client-1" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for svn_client_create_context in -lsvn_client-1... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_lib_svn_client_1_svn_client_create_context+:} false; then :
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
@@ -7750,12 +7748,7 @@ fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_svn_client_1_svn_client_create_context" >&5
 $as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_svn_client_1_svn_client_create_context" >&6; }
 if test "x$ac_cv_lib_svn_client_1_svn_client_create_context" = xyes; then :
-  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE_LIBSVN_CLIENT_1 1
-_ACEOF
-
-  LIBS="-lsvn_client-1 $LIBS"
-
+  have_libsvn=yes
 else
   have_libsvn=no
 fi
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0fc7e4822..f51308fa7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -921,16 +921,15 @@ case "$with_subversion" in
 
 if test "$with_nmap_update" != "no"; then
   have_libsvn=yes
+  old_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
+  CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $($apr_config --cppflags --includes)"
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER([svn_client.h], [], [
+                   AC_CHECK_HEADER([subversion-1/svn_client.h], [], [have_libsvn=no])
+                   ])
+  CPPFLAGS="$old_CPPFLAGS"
   if test "$have_libsvn" = "yes"; then
-    old_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-    CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $($apr_config --cppflags --includes)"
-    AC_CHECK_HEADER([svn_client.h], [], [
-      AC_CHECK_HEADER([subversion-1/svn_client.h], [], [have_libsvn=no])
-    ])
-    CPPFLAGS="$old_CPPFLAGS"
-  fi
-  if test "$have_libsvn" = "yes"; then
-    AC_CHECK_LIB([svn_client-1], [svn_client_create_context], [], [have_libsvn=no])
+    dnl Avoid appending to LIBS here by providing non-default action-if-found
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([svn_client-1], [svn_client_create_context], [have_libsvn=yes], [have_libsvn=no])
   fi
   if test "$have_libsvn" != "yes"; then
     if test "$with_nmap_update" = "check"; then