--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2149,43 +2149,40 @@
 ### GUI/Qt related tests.
 
 HAVE_QT=false
-GUIDIR=
 QT_INCDIR=
 QT_LIBDIR=
-AC_CHECK_PROGS(QMAKE, [qmake qmake-qt4 qmake-qt5])
-if test -n "$QMAKE"; then
-  QT_INCDIR=`$QMAKE -query | sed -n -e 's/^QT_INSTALL_HEADERS://p'`
-  QT_LIBDIR=`$QMAKE -query | sed -n -e 's/^QT_INSTALL_LIBS://p'`
-  AC_CHECK_PROGS(MOC, [moc moc-qt4 moc-qt5])
-  AC_CHECK_PROGS(UIC, [uic uic-qt4 uic-qt5])
-  AC_CHECK_PROGS(RCC, [rcc])
-  if test -n "$MOC" && test -n "$UIC" && test -n "$RCC"; then
-    HAVE_QT=true
-    AC_DEFINE([HAVE_QT], 1, [Define to 1 if Qt is available (must have moc, uic, and rcc programs and developer header files and libraries installed)])
-    GUIDIR=gui
+build_gui=yes
+win32_terminal=no
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(gui,
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-gui], [build GUI (default is yes)])],
+  [if test "$enableval" = no; then build_gui=no; fi], [build_gui=yes])
+
+if test $build_gui = yes; then
+  AC_CHECK_PROGS(QMAKE, [qmake qmake-qt4 qmake-qt5])
+  if test -n "$QMAKE"; then
+    QT_INCDIR=`$QMAKE -query | sed -n -e 's/^QT_INSTALL_HEADERS://p'`
+    QT_LIBDIR=`$QMAKE -query | sed -n -e 's/^QT_INSTALL_LIBS://p'`
+    AC_CHECK_PROGS(MOC, [moc moc-qt4 moc-qt5])
+    AC_CHECK_PROGS(UIC, [uic uic-qt4 uic-qt5])
+    AC_CHECK_PROGS(RCC, [rcc])
+    if test -n "$MOC" && test -n "$UIC" && test -n "$RCC"; then
+      HAVE_QT=true
+      AC_DEFINE([HAVE_QT], 1, [Define to 1 if Qt is available (must have moc, uic, and rcc programs and developer header files and libraries installed)])
+    fi
   fi
+
+  case "$canonical_host_type" in
+    *-*-mingw* | *-*-msdosmsvc*) win32_terminal=yes ;;
+    *)
+      AC_CHECK_HEADERS([pty.h libutil.h util.h])
+      AC_SEARCH_LIBS([openpty], [util], [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_OPENPTY], [], [Define whether openpty exists])])
+      ;;
+  esac
 fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL([AMCOND_BUILD_GUI], [test $build_gui = yes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([WIN32_TERMINAL], [test $win32_terminal = yes])
 AC_SUBST(QT_INCDIR)
 AC_SUBST(QT_LIBDIR)
-AC_SUBST(GUIDIR)
-  
-case "$canonical_host_type" in
-  *-*-mingw* | *-*-msdosmsvc*) win32_terminal=yes ;;
-  *)
-    win32_terminal=no
-    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([pty.h libutil.h util.h])
-    AC_SEARCH_LIBS([openpty], [util], [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_OPENPTY], [], [Define whether openpty exists])])
-    ;;
-esac
-AM_CONDITIONAL([WIN32_TERMINAL], [test x$win32_terminal = xyes])
-
-octave_gui=
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(gui,
-  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-gui], [build GUI (default is no)])],
-  [if test "$enableval" = yes; then
-     octave_gui=yes
-   fi], [])
-AM_CONDITIONAL([OCTAVE_GUI], [test x$octave_gui = xyes])
 
 ### Run configure in subdirectories.