diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b4c50b4..07fa2e3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@
 if test "$with_java" = "yes";  then
   AX_JAVAC_AND_JAVA
   AC_PATH_PROG([ANT], [ant])
+  AX_CHECK_JAVA_CLASS(org.apache.log4j.Logger)
+  have_log4j="$success"
+  if test "x$have_log4j" = "xyes" ; then
+    ANT_FLAGS="$ANT_FLAGS -Dnoivy="
+  fi
+  AC_SUBST(ANT_FLAGS)
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_JAVA],
                [test -n "$ANT" -a -n "$JAVA" -a -n "$JAVAC"])
diff --git a/lib/java/Makefile.am b/lib/java/Makefile.am
index 7275f5b..ffcdc03 100644
--- a/lib/java/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/java/Makefile.am
@@ -20,17 +20,17 @@
 EXTRA_DIST = build.xml src test
 
 all-local:
-	$(ANT)
+	$(ANT) $(ANT_FLAGS)
 
 install-exec-hook:
-	$(ANT) install -Dinstall.path=$(DESTDIR)$(JAVA_PREFIX) \
+	$(ANT) $(ANT_FLAGS) install -Dinstall.path=$(DESTDIR)$(JAVA_PREFIX) \
 		-Dinstall.javadoc.path=$(DESTDIR)$(docdir)/java
 
 # Make sure this doesn't fail if ant is not configured.
 clean-local:
 	ANT=$(ANT) ; if test -z "$$ANT" ; then ANT=: ; fi ; \
-	$$ANT clean
+	$$ANT $(ANT_FLAGS) clean
 
 check-local: all
-	$(ANT) test
+	$(ANT) $(ANT_FLAGS) test