diff --git a/configure b/configure
index de1b13f72..a7a6f3ea4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -17955,7 +17955,8 @@ test -n "$SORT" || SORT="false"
 
 if ! "$SORT" -V </dev/null >/dev/null
 then :
-  as_fn_error $? "GNU sort(1) is required" "$LINENO" 5
+  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: WARNING: GNU sort(1) is required to find dynamic libraries" >&5
+printf "%s\n" "$as_me: WARNING: GNU sort(1) is required to find dynamic libraries" >&2;}
 fi
 
 # Check whether --enable-largefile was given.
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b9b10f499..ec9113534 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ if [ test -z "$AWK" ]; then
 fi
 
 AC_CHECK_PROGS([SORT], [gsort sort], [false])
-AS_IF([! "$SORT" -V </dev/null >/dev/null], [AC_MSG_ERROR([GNU sort(1) is required])])
+AS_IF([! "$SORT" -V </dev/null >/dev/null], [AC_MSG_WARN([GNU sort(1) is required to find dynamic libraries])])
 
 dnl 64-bit file offsets if possible unless --disable-largefile is specified
 AC_SYS_LARGEFILE