--- a/configure.ac	2026-04-29 21:22:55.150930038 +0200
+++ b/configure.ac	2026-04-29 21:30:45.556594022 +0200
@@ -74,22 +74,10 @@
 
 # Only build h5fromh4 if we are using a version of HDF5 prior to 1.4, and
 # thus don't have the superior h4toh5 utility.  Similarly for h5toh4.
-AC_CHECK_PROG(H4TOH5, h4toh5, h4toh5)
-AC_CHECK_PROG(H5TOH4, h5toh4, h5toh4)
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(hdf4,
-	[AS_HELP_STRING([--with-hdf4],[build hdf4 utils even if h4toh5 and h5toh4 are present])],
-	ok=$withval, ok=maybe)
-if test "x$ok" = xyes; then
-	H4TOH5=""
-	H5TOH4=""
-elif test "x$ok" = xno; then
-	H4TOH5="h4toh5"
-	H5TOH4="h5toh4"
-fi
+AC_ARG_WITH(hdf, AS_HELP_STRING([--with-hdf],[build hdf4 utils even if h4toh5 and h5toh4 are present]))
 
-HDF4=no
-if test "x$H4TOH5" != xh4toh5 -o "x$H5TOH4" != xh5toh4; then
+AS_IF([test "x$with_hdf" = "xyes"], [
 	AC_CHECK_LIB(jpeg, jpeg_start_compress,
 		[AC_CHECK_LIB(df, DFSDgetdata,
 			[H4_LIBS="-ldf -ljpeg"; HDF4=yes],
@@ -97,19 +85,15 @@
 		[AC_MSG_WARN([can't find libjpeg: won't be able to compile h5fromh4 or h4fromh5])])
 
 	if test $HDF4 = yes; then
-		if test "x$H4TOH5" != xh4toh5; then
 		   MORE_H5UTILS="h5fromh4\$(EXEEXT) $MORE_H5UTILS"
 		   MORE_H5UTILS_MANS="doc/man/h5fromh4.1 $MORE_H5UTILS_MANS"
-		fi
-		if test "x$H5TOH4" != xh5toh4; then
 		   MORE_H5UTILS="h4fromh5\$(EXEEXT) $MORE_H5UTILS"
 		   # MORE_H5UTILS_MANS="doc/man/h4fromh5.1 $MORE_H5UTILS_MANS"
-		fi
 	fi
-fi
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(hdf.h hdf/hdf.h)
 
 AC_SUBST(H4_LIBS)
+])
 
 ###########################################################################