diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 3f5870355..1c47e7fd4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Nmap Changelog ($Id$); -*-text-*-
 
+o Stopped linking against libnl when not necessary (when linking
+  dynamically with libpcap). Patch by Kevin Locke.
+
 o [NSE] Applied patch from Daniel Miller that fixes a bug in http-form-brute
   reported by Josh Greenwood. The script would break if autodetection of
   either brute form fields would fail.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fae82bae4..e3f313bf1 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6199,6 +6199,64 @@ if test $have_libpcap != yes; then
   PCAP_DIST_CLEAN="pcap_dist_clean"
   $as_echo "#define PCAP_INCLUDED 1" >>confdefs.h
 
+
+  # libpcap can require libnl
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing nl_handle_alloc" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for library containing nl_handle_alloc... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc+set}" = set; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char nl_handle_alloc ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return nl_handle_alloc ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+for ac_lib in '' nl; do
+  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
+    ac_res="none required"
+  else
+    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
+    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
+  fi
+  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc=$ac_res
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext
+  if test "${ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc+set}" = set; then :
+  break
+fi
+done
+if test "${ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc+set}" = set; then :
+
+else
+  ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc=no
+fi
+rm conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc" >&6; }
+ac_res=$ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc
+if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
+  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
+
+fi
+
 else
   $as_echo "#define HAVE_LIBPCAP 1" >>confdefs.h
 
@@ -6524,64 +6582,6 @@ if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
 fi
 
 
-# libpcap can require libnl
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing nl_handle_alloc" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for library containing nl_handle_alloc... " >&6; }
-if test "${ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc+set}" = set; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char nl_handle_alloc ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return nl_handle_alloc ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-for ac_lib in '' nl; do
-  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
-    ac_res="none required"
-  else
-    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
-    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
-  fi
-  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc=$ac_res
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext
-  if test "${ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc+set}" = set; then :
-  break
-fi
-done
-if test "${ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc+set}" = set; then :
-
-else
-  ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc=no
-fi
-rm conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc" >&6; }
-ac_res=$ac_cv_search_nl_handle_alloc
-if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
-  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
-
-fi
-
-
 # They don't want lua
 if test "$no_lua" = "yes"; then
   CPPFLAGS="-DNOLUA $CPPFLAGS"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3f6da13dd..564e666a6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -417,6 +417,9 @@ if test $have_libpcap != yes; then
   PCAP_CLEAN="pcap_clean"
   PCAP_DIST_CLEAN="pcap_dist_clean"
   AC_DEFINE(PCAP_INCLUDED)
+
+  # libpcap can require libnl
+  AC_SEARCH_LIBS(nl_handle_alloc, nl)
 else
   AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBPCAP)
   LIBPCAP_LIBS="-lpcap"
@@ -579,9 +582,6 @@ AC_HELP_STRING([--without-liblua], [Compile without lua (this will exclude all o
 # OpenSSL and NSE C modules can require dlopen
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS(dlopen, dl)
 
-# libpcap can require libnl
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS(nl_handle_alloc, nl)
-
 # They don't want lua
 if test "$no_lua" = "yes"; then
   CPPFLAGS="-DNOLUA $CPPFLAGS"