diff --git src/external/ldap.m4 src/external/ldap.m4
index cd13fde62..73ca93674 100644
--- src/external/ldap.m4
+++ src/external/ldap.m4
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ dnl Check for other libraries we need to link with to get the main routines.
 test "$with_ldap" != "yes" && { AC_CHECK_LIB(ldap, ldap_open, [with_ldap=yes with_ldap_lber=yes], , -llber) }
 test "$with_ldap" != "yes" && { AC_CHECK_LIB(ldap, ldap_open, [with_ldap=yes with_ldap_lber=yes with_ldap_krb=yes], , -llber -lkrb) }
 test "$with_ldap" != "yes" && { AC_CHECK_LIB(ldap, ldap_open, [with_ldap=yes with_ldap_lber=yes with_ldap_krb=yes with_ldap_des=yes], , -llber -lkrb -ldes) }
-CFLAGS=$SAVE_CFLAGS
-LIBS=$SAVE_LIBS
+
 dnl Recently, we need -lber even though the main routines are elsewhere,
 dnl because otherwise we get link errors w.r.t. ber_pvt_opt_on. So just
 dnl check for that (it's a variable not a fun but that doesn't seem to
@@ -42,6 +41,9 @@ dnl stick it in always shouldn't hurt, I don't think) ... #### Someone who
 dnl #### understands LDAP needs to fix this properly.
 test "$with_ldap_lber" != "yes" && { AC_CHECK_LIB(lber, ber_pvt_opt_on, with_ldap_lber=yes) }
 
+CFLAGS=$SAVE_CFLAGS
+LIBS=$SAVE_LIBS
+
 if test "$with_ldap" = "yes"; then
   if test "$with_ldap_des" = "yes" ; then
     OPENLDAP_LIBS="${OPENLDAP_LIBS} -ldes"