diff --git a/SWIG/Makefile.in b/SWIG/Makefile.in
index fe0c42ed6..34f1922f7 100644
--- a/SWIG/Makefile.in
+++ b/SWIG/Makefile.in
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ skip-perl	= test -n "@SKIP_PERL5@"
 skip-python	= test -n "@SKIP_PYTHON@"
 skip-java	= test -n "@SKIP_JAVA@"
 skip-guile	= test -n "@SKIP_GUILE@"
-skip-guilescm   = test -n "@SKIP_GUILE@"
+skip-guilescm   = test -n "@SKIP_GUILESCM@"
 skip-mzscheme	= test -n "@SKIP_MZSCHEME@"
 skip-ruby	= test -n "@SKIP_RUBY@"
 skip-php4	= test -n "@SKIP_PHP4@"
diff --git a/SWIG/Runtime/Makefile.am b/SWIG/Runtime/Makefile.am
index fdb2b6c3e..03637704a 100644
--- a/SWIG/Runtime/Makefile.am
+++ b/SWIG/Runtime/Makefile.am
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ if !SKIP_PYTHON
 lib_LTLIBRARIES += libswigpy.la
 endif
 if !SKIP_GUILE
-lib_LTLIBRARIES += libswigguile.la libswigguilescm.la
+lib_LTLIBRARIES += libswigguile.la
+endif
+if !SKIP_GUILESCM
+lib_LTLIBRARIES += libswigguilescm.la
 endif
 if !SKIP_RUBY
 lib_LTLIBRARIES += libswigrb.la
diff --git a/SWIG/configure.in b/SWIG/configure.in
index 58342720d..4f40c6ec3 100644
--- a/SWIG/configure.in
+++ b/SWIG/configure.in
@@ -801,6 +801,35 @@ AC_SUBST(GUILEINCLUDE)
 AC_SUBST(GUILELIB)
 AC_SUBST(GUILELINK)
 
+guilesafe_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
+guilesafe_LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS
+CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $GUILEINCLUDE"
+LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS $GUILELINK"
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether Guile's gh_ API works)
+AC_LINK_IFELSE([#include <guile/gh.h>
+  int main() { SCM s; return gh_scm2int(s); }], GUILE_GH_INTERFACE=1, )
+if test -n "$GUILE_GH_INTERFACE" ; then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+fi
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether Guile's SCM_ API works)
+AC_LINK_IFELSE([#include <libguile.h>
+  int main() { SCM s; return SCM_STRING_LENGTH(s); }], GUILE_SCM_INTERFACE=1, )
+if test -n "$GUILE_SCM_INTERFACE" ; then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+else
+	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+fi
+CFLAGS=$guilesafe_CFLAGS
+LDFLAGS=$guilesafe_LDFLAGS
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL(GUILE_GH_INTERFACE, test -n "$GUILE_GH_INTERFACE")
+AC_SUBST(GUILE_GH_INTERFACE)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(GUILE_SCM_INTERFACE, test -n "$GUILE_SCM_INTERFACE")
+AC_SUBST(GUILE_SCM_INTERFACE)
+
 #----------------------------------------------------------------
 # Look for MzScheme
 #----------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1239,12 +1268,19 @@ AC_SUBST(SKIP_JAVA)
 
 
 SKIP_GUILE=
-if test -z "$GUILEINCLUDE" || test -z "$GUILELIB" ; then
+if test -z "$GUILEINCLUDE" || test -z "$GUILELIB" || test -z "$GUILE_GH_INTERFACE"; then
     SKIP_GUILE="1"
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(SKIP_GUILE, test -n "$SKIP_GUILE")
 AC_SUBST(SKIP_GUILE)
 
+SKIP_GUILESCM=
+if test -z "$GUILEINCLUDE" || test -z "$GUILELIB" || test -z "$GUILE_SCM_INTERFACE"; then
+    SKIP_GUILESCM="1"
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(SKIP_GUILESCM, test -n "$SKIP_GUILESCM")
+AC_SUBST(SKIP_GUILESCM)
+
 
 SKIP_MZSCHEME=
 if test -z "$MZC" ; then