diff --git a/gdal/configure b/gdal/configure
index 6bb09ade908c..0edea880fe3e 100755
--- a/gdal/configure
+++ b/gdal/configure
@@ -27373,7 +27373,8 @@ if test "$NETCDF_SETTING" != "no" ; then
    for ac_header in $NETCDF_INCLUDEDIR/netcdf_mem.h
 do :
   as_ac_Header=`$as_echo "ac_cv_header_$ac_header" | $as_tr_sh`
-ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "$ac_header" "$as_ac_Header" "$ac_includes_default"
+ac_fn_c_check_header_compile "$LINENO" "$ac_header" "$as_ac_Header" "#include <$NETCDF_INCLUDEDIR/netcdf.h>
+"
 if eval test \"x\$"$as_ac_Header"\" = x"yes"; then :
   cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
 #define `$as_echo "HAVE_$ac_header" | $as_tr_cpp` 1
diff --git a/gdal/configure.ac b/gdal/configure.ac
index 383a6b7f9a11..b6e035d8017c 100644
--- a/gdal/configure.ac
+++ b/gdal/configure.ac
@@ -2673,7 +2673,7 @@ AC_SUBST([NETCDF_SETTING], [$NETCDF_SETTING])
 
 if test "$NETCDF_SETTING" != "no" ; then
 
-   AC_CHECK_HEADERS([$NETCDF_INCLUDEDIR/netcdf_mem.h], [NETCDF_MEM=yes], [NETCDF_MEM=no],)
+   AC_CHECK_HEADERS([$NETCDF_INCLUDEDIR/netcdf_mem.h], [NETCDF_MEM=yes], [NETCDF_MEM=no], [#include <$NETCDF_INCLUDEDIR/netcdf.h>])
 
    AC_SUBST([NETCDF_MEM], [$NETCDF_MEM])
    AC_SUBST([NETCDF_ROOT], [$NETCDF_ROOT])