diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index d1c201ddf7..6fa837fd7b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ int main(void)
 {
 	if (!event_init())
 	        return -1;
+        return 0;
 }], , [ ac_cv_libevent_local=unlinked ])
     else
        ac_cv_libevent_local=no   
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ int main(void)
 {
 	if (!event_init())
 	        return -1;
+        return 0;
 }], [ ac_cv_libevent_local=unlinked_gcc_elf ])
     fi 
 
@@ -106,32 +108,30 @@ int main(void)
   fi
 
   if test $ac_cv_libevent_local = unlinked ; then
-      echo <<EOF
-=====================================================
-HEY!!!!
-
+    if test -f /etc/ld.conf ; then
+      AC_MSG_NOTICE([
+=================================================
 Your libevent library is installed in /usr/local/lib,
 but your dynamic linker isn't configured to look for
 it there.
 
-EOF
-    if test -f /etc/ld.so.conf; then
-        echo <<EOF
 Maybe you need to add /usr/local/lib to /etc/ld.so.conf,
 and then run ldconfig -v ?
-EOF
-    fi
-    echo <<EOF
-
-=====================================================
-EOF
-fi
+=================================================])
+    else
+      AC_MSG_NOTICE([
+=================================================
+Your libevent library is installed in /usr/local/lib,
+but your dynamic linker isn't configured to look for
+it there.
+=================================================])
+    fi 
+  fi
 
   if test $ac_cv_libevent_local = no ; then
-      echo <<EOF
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([
 Tor requires libevent to build.  You can download the latest
-version of libevent from http://monkey.org/~provos/libevent/
-EOF
+version of libevent from http://monkey.org/~provos/libevent/])
   fi
 
 fi