diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index b8ddcbf7d5..2bfd99e320 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+4484.	[bug]		Failure to find readline when requested should be
+			fatal to configure. [RT #43328]
+
 4483.	[func]		Check prefixes in acls to make sure the address and
 			prefix lengths are consistent.  Warn only in
 			BIND 9.11 and earlier. [RT #43367]
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6b11710cde..d6d496cd71 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -19131,6 +19131,10 @@ done
 			break
 		fi
 	done
+	if test "X$readline" = Xyes -a "$ac_cv_func_readline" != yes
+	then
+		as_fn_error $? "The readline library was not found." "$LINENO" 5
+	fi
 	LIBS="$saved_LIBS"
 	;;
 *)
@@ -19177,6 +19181,10 @@ done
 			fi
 		done
 	fi
+	if test "$ac_cv_func_readline" != yes
+	then
+		as_fn_error $? "The readline library was not found." "$LINENO" 5
+	fi
 	LIBS="$saved_LIBS"
 	;;
 esac
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 66596d08ef..699fc6f7e2 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -3468,6 +3468,10 @@ yes|auto)
 			break
 		fi
 	done
+	if test "X$readline" = Xyes -a "$ac_cv_func_readline" != yes
+	then
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([The readline library was not found.])
+	fi
 	LIBS="$saved_LIBS"
 	;;
 *)
@@ -3492,6 +3496,10 @@ yes|auto)
 			fi
 		done
 	fi
+	if test "$ac_cv_func_readline" != yes
+	then
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([The readline library was not found.])
+	fi
 	LIBS="$saved_LIBS"
 	;;
 esac