diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a430d2629bd..ba553102dd5 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3643,7 +3643,7 @@ fi
 
 
 	if test "x$HAVE_GAWK" != "xyes"; then :
-  as_fn_error $? "\"*** gawk not found ***\"" "$LINENO" 5
+  as_fn_error $? "*** gawk not found ***" "$LINENO" 5
 fi
 
 fi
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d9d9f08cbc3..5acc0fe882d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ AS_IF([test "x$enable_man" != "xno"], [
 	HAVE_MAN="-DHAVE_MAN"
 	AC_SUBST(HAVE_MAN)
 	AC_CHECK_PROG([HAVE_GAWK], [gawk], [yes], [no])
-	AS_IF([test "x$HAVE_GAWK" != "xyes"], [AC_MSG_ERROR("*** gawk not found ***")])
+	AS_IF([test "x$HAVE_GAWK" != "xyes"], [AC_MSG_ERROR([*** gawk not found ***])])
 ])
 
 HAVE_FIRETUNNEL=""