diff --git a/configure b/configure
index ec53f503eeed18343090b23c825e227251bb8b71..31efc5356290577b8ee28dc335fb3e0e9b105f0b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5823,7 +5823,16 @@ $as_echo "#define __PLUMED_HAS_MOLFILE_PLUGINS 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 found=ko
 if test "$external_molfile_plugins" == true ; then
-	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for molfile_dcdplugin_init in -lmolfile_plugin" >&5
+  ac_fn_cxx_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "libmolfile_plugin.h" "ac_cv_header_libmolfile_plugin_h" "$ac_includes_default"
+if test "x$ac_cv_header_libmolfile_plugin_h" = xyes; then :
+
+      ac_fn_cxx_check_func "$LINENO" "molfile_dcdplugin_init" "ac_cv_func_molfile_dcdplugin_init"
+if test "x$ac_cv_func_molfile_dcdplugin_init" = xyes; then :
+  found=ok
+else
+
+      if test "${libsearch}" == true ; then
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for molfile_dcdplugin_init in -lmolfile_plugin" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for molfile_dcdplugin_init in -lmolfile_plugin... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_lib_molfile_plugin_molfile_dcdplugin_init+:} false; then :
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
@@ -5860,17 +5869,17 @@ fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_molfile_plugin_molfile_dcdplugin_init" >&5
 $as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_molfile_plugin_molfile_dcdplugin_init" >&6; }
 if test "x$ac_cv_lib_molfile_plugin_molfile_dcdplugin_init" = xyes; then :
-  if test "${libsearch}" == true ; then
-        	 ac_fn_cxx_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "libmolfile_plugin.h" "ac_cv_header_libmolfile_plugin_h" "$ac_includes_default"
-if test "x$ac_cv_header_libmolfile_plugin_h" = xyes; then :
   LIBS="-lmolfile_plugin $LIBS" found=ok
 fi
 
+      fi
+
+fi
 
-           fi
 
 fi
 
+
 fi
 if test $found == ko ; then
 	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: WARNING: using internal molfile_plugins, which only support dcd/xtc/trr/trj/crd files" >&5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f7eef5724eff5962280c400a3ef8d4b5b76ac7fc..2c6abc8ae3b1c9ae39c4e263f2a42f0fa11847c5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -436,11 +436,13 @@ AC_DEFINE([__PLUMED_HAS_MOLFILE_PLUGINS])
 
 found=ko
 if test "$external_molfile_plugins" == true ; then
-	AC_CHECK_LIB([molfile_plugin],[molfile_dcdplugin_init],
-           if test "${libsearch}" == true ; then
-        	[ AC_CHECK_HEADER([libmolfile_plugin.h], [LIBS="-lmolfile_plugin $LIBS"] [found=ok] ) ]
-           fi
-)
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER(  [libmolfile_plugin.h], [
+      AC_CHECK_FUNC(  [molfile_dcdplugin_init], [found=ok], [
+      if test "${libsearch}" == true ; then
+        AC_CHECK_LIB(   [molfile_plugin],[molfile_dcdplugin_init], [LIBS="-lmolfile_plugin $LIBS"] [found=ok])
+      fi
+    ])
+  ])
 fi
 if test $found == ko ; then
 	AC_MSG_WARN([using internal molfile_plugins, which only support dcd/xtc/trr/trj/crd files])