diff --git a/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am b/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am
index 9929caecea..adaaf6ee29 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am
+++ b/bin/tests/system/Makefile.am
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ TESTS +=			\
 	spf			\
 	staticstub		\
 	statistics		\
+	statschannel		\
 	stress			\
 	stub			\
 	synthfromdnssec		\
@@ -184,10 +185,6 @@ TESTS +=			\
 
 if HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS
 
-if HAVE_PERLMOD_FILE_FETCH
-TESTS += statschannel
-endif HAVE_PERLMOD_FILE_FETCH
-
 if HAVE_PERLMOD_DIGEST_HMAC
 TESTS += xfer
 endif HAVE_PERLMOD_DIGEST_HMAC
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/statschannel/prereq.sh b/bin/tests/system/statschannel/prereq.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..77d0c38334
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/statschannel/prereq.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0.  If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+# See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
+# information regarding copyright ownership.
+
+. ../conf.sh
+
+if ! ${PERL} -MNet::DNS -e ''
+then
+	echo_i "perl Net::DNS module is required"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! ${PERL} -MFile::Fetch -e ''
+then
+	echo_i "perl File::Fetch module is required"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d4788a1e82..7525096da2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -315,10 +315,6 @@ AX_PERL_MODULE([Digest::HMAC])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PERLMOD_DIGEST_HMAC],
 	       [test "$HAVE_PERLMOD_DIGEST__HMAC" = "yes"])
 
-AX_PERL_MODULE([File::Fetch])
-AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PERLMOD_FILE_FETCH],
-	       [test "$HAVE_PERLMOD_FILE__FETCH" = "yes"])
-
 AX_PERL_MODULE([Net::DNS])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PERLMOD_NET_DNS],
 	       [test "$HAVE_PERLMOD_NET__DNS" = "yes"])