--- a/m4/off_t-format.m4
+++ b/m4/off_t-format.m4
@@ -3,44 +3,52 @@
 dnl FIXME
 AC_DEFUN(jm_SYS_OFF_T_PRINTF_FORMAT,
 [dnl
-    AC_CHECK_HEADERS(string.h stdlinb.h)
-    AC_CACHE_CHECK([for printf format that works with type off_t],
-                   jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format,
-    [
-     for jm_fmt in '' L ll q; do
-       jm_OFF_T_FORMAT="$jm_fmt"
-       export jm_OFF_T_FORMAT
-       AC_TRY_RUN([
-#        include <sys/types.h>
-#        include <stdio.h>
-#        if HAVE_STDLIB_H
-#         include <stdlib.h>
-#        endif
-#        if HAVE_STRING_H
-#         include <string.h>
-#        endif
-         int
-         main()
-         {
-	   static off_t x[] = {1, 255, 65535, 99999999};
-	   char buf[50], fmt[50];
+  AC_CHECK_HEADERS(string.h stdlinb.h)
+  AC_CACHE_CHECK([for printf format that works with type off_t],
+    jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format,
+  [
+   jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format=undef
+   for jm_fmt in '' L ll q; do
+     jm_OFF_T_FORMAT="$jm_fmt"
+     export jm_OFF_T_FORMAT
+     AC_TRY_RUN([
+#      include <sys/types.h>
+#      include <stdio.h>
+#      if HAVE_STDLIB_H
+#       include <stdlib.h>
+#      endif
+#      if HAVE_STRING_H
+#       include <string.h>
+#      endif
+       int
+       main()
+       {
+	 static off_t x[] = {1, 255, 65535, 99999999};
+	 char buf[50], fmt[50];
 
-	   /* this should be one of these values: "", "L", "ll", "q"  */
-	   char *f = getenv ("jm_OFF_T_FORMAT");
+	 /* this should be one of these values: "", "L", "ll", "q"  */
+	 char *f = getenv ("jm_OFF_T_FORMAT");
+
+	 sprintf (fmt, "%%%sd %%%sx %%%sx %%%sd", f, f, f, f);
+	 sprintf (buf, fmt, x[0], x[1], x[2], x[3]);
+	 exit (strcmp (buf, "1 ff ffff 99999999"));
+       }
+       ], jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format=$jm_fmt; break
+       , dnl didn't work
+       dnl Cross compiling -- you lose.  Specify it via the cache.
+     )
+   done
 
-	   sprintf (fmt, "%%%sd %%%sx %%%sx %%%sd", f, f, f, f);
-	   sprintf (buf, fmt, x[0], x[1], x[2], x[3]);
-	   exit (strcmp (buf, "1 ff ffff 99999999"));
-         }
-         ], jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format=$jm_fmt; break
-         , jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format=no dnl The library version does NOT work.
-         , jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format=no dnl We're cross compiling.
-       )
-     done
-    ])
-  fi
+   # Die if none of the above worked.
+   # FIXME: If this failure become a problem that we can't work around,
+   # an alternative would be to arrange not to build od.
+   if test $jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format = undef; then
+     AC_MSG_ERROR(dnl
+       [couldn't find a printf format that works with the type, off_t])
+   fi
+  ])
 
-  if test $am_cv_func_working_getline = no; then
-    AC_LIBOBJ(getline)
-  fi
+  AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(OFF_T_PRINTF_FORMAT_STRING,
+		     "$jm_cv_sys_off_t_printf_format",
+		     [printf format string for type off_t, without the `%']);
 ])