diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f8cc75ffa456022e4c99c420dfdde4f6371c583b..7a2902767ff0a02957e514165e28ea49664c89c3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([dim-of-world],
 esac])
 
 ALBERTA_ENABLE_FLAG([fortran-blas],
-  [Use BLAS routines for some basis linear algebra stuff.],
+  [Use BLAS routines for some basic linear algebra stuff.],
   [disabled],
   [USE_F77_BLAS],
   [DEFINE SUBST COND])
@@ -538,8 +538,14 @@ AC_CHECK_MEMBERS([struct sigaction.sa_sigaction],,,[#include <signal.h>])
 #
 # Let the user decide what it wants (handled by ALBERTA_CHECK_PACKAGE()
 #
-ALBERTA_CHECK_PACKAGE([blas],[blas],
-  [${DAXPY_F77_FUNC}],[],[${FLIBS}],[],[],[],[required])
+if test "$USE_F77_BLAS" -eq 1; then
+  ALBERTA_CHECK_PACKAGE([blas],[blas],
+    [${DAXPY_F77_FUNC}],[],[${FLIBS}],[],[],[],[required])
+else
+  AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_BLAS], [false])
+  AC_DEFINE([HAVE_BLAS], 0, [Define to 1 if BLAS is available])
+  AC_SUBST([BLAS_ALL_LIBS], [])
+fi
 
 ALBERTA_ENABLE_FLAG([graphics],
   [disable support for visualization, including all add-ons which need graphics.],