diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0bcf807..593b66c 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -195,9 +195,13 @@
   if test -n "$PERL" ; then
     AC_PROG_PERL_MODULES([Bit::Vector], success="yes", success="no")
     have_perl_bit_vector="$success"
+    AC_PROG_PERL_MODULES([Class::Accessor], success="yes", success="no")
+    have_perl_class_accessor="$success"
   fi
   if test -n "$PERL" -a "$have_perl_bit_vector" = "yes" ; then
-    have_perl="yes"
+    if test -n "$PERL" -a "$have_perl_class_accessor" = "yes" ; then
+      have_perl="yes"
+    fi
   fi
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_PERL, [test "$have_perl" = "yes"])