diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 86ff65bfbb..3adced81d7 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -1310,7 +1310,6 @@ AC_HEADER_DIRENT
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([ \
 	curses.h \
 	direct.h \
-	et/com_err.h \
 	fcntl.h \
 	grp.h \
 	mntent.h \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 38ac6f256d..d0b329ddfe 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ AS_IF([test x"$KRB5_LIBS" != x],
                      [Define to 1 if you have the `krb524_convert_creds_kdc' function.])])])])
      AC_CHECK_HEADERS([kerberosIV/krb.h])
      AC_CHECK_HEADERS([kerberosV/heim_err.h])
+     AC_CHECK_HEADERS([com_err.h et/com_err.h krb5/com_err.h])
+     AS_IF([test x"$ac_cv_header_com_err_h" != xyes \
+             && test x"$ac_cv_header_et_com_err_h" != xyes \
+             && test x"$ac_cv_header_krb5_com_err_h" != xyes],
+       [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find a usable com_err.h])])
      AC_CHECK_MEMBERS([krb5_creds.keyblock, krb5_creds.keyblock.enctype,
 		       krb5_creds.session, krb5_keytab_entry.key,
 		       krb5_keytab_entry.keyblock, krb5_keyblock.enctype,
diff --git a/src/aklog/aklog.c b/src/aklog/aklog.c
index 89f73d80b7..aac7e3352c 100644
--- a/src/aklog/aklog.c
+++ b/src/aklog/aklog.c
@@ -64,10 +64,14 @@
 
 #include <afs/stds.h>
 #include <krb5.h>
-#if defined(HAVE_ET_COM_ERR_H)
-#include <et/com_err.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_COM_ERR_H
+# include <com_err.h>
+#elif HAVE_ET_COM_ERR_H
+# include <et/com_err.h>
+#elif HAVE_KRB5_COM_ERR_H
+# include <krb5/com_err.h>
 #else
-#include <com_err.h>
+# error No com_err.h? We need some kind of com_err.h
 #endif
 
 #ifndef HAVE_KERBEROSV_HEIM_ERR_H