diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b5e5d5f42..be68f8885 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1419,13 +1419,16 @@ dnl RB_CHK_SYSHEADER(unicode/idna.h, [UNICODE_IDNA_H])
 
 dnl RB_CHK_SYSHEADER(unicode/utmscale.h, [UNICODE_UTMSCALE_H])
 
+have_icu="no"
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(icuuc, [icuuc],
 [
+	have_icu="yes"
 	have_icuuc="yes"
 	ICU_LIBS+=" -licuuc"
 ], [
 	AC_CHECK_LIB([icuuc], [_init],
 	[
+		have_icu="yes"
 		have_icuuc="yes"
 		ICU_LIBS+=" -licuuc"
 	], [
@@ -1434,6 +1437,7 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES(icuuc, [icuuc],
 ])
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ICUUC], [test "x$have_icuuc" = "xyes" ])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ICU], [test "x$have_icu" = "xyes" ])
 
 dnl
 dnl
diff --git a/ircd/Makefile.am b/ircd/Makefile.am
index eb4a15a76..9fbec8c37 100644
--- a/ircd/Makefile.am
+++ b/ircd/Makefile.am
@@ -129,7 +129,9 @@ libircd_la_SOURCES += demangle.cc
 libircd_la_SOURCES += backtrace.cc
 libircd_la_SOURCES += simd.cc
 libircd_la_SOURCES += fpe.cc
+if ICU
 libircd_la_SOURCES += icu.cc
+endif
 libircd_la_SOURCES += utf.cc
 libircd_la_SOURCES += timedate.cc
 libircd_la_SOURCES += lex_cast.cc