diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f77e08742..d8c38fe29 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -57,11 +57,12 @@ m4_define([hb_libtool_current],
 HB_LIBTOOL_VERSION_INFO=hb_libtool_current:hb_libtool_revision:hb_libtool_age
 AC_SUBST(HB_LIBTOOL_VERSION_INFO)
 
-AC_ARG_WITH([stdcpp],
-    [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-stdcpp],
-			[Do not try suppressing linkage to libstdcpp])],,
-	[with_stdcpp=no])
-AM_CONDITIONAL(WITHSTDCPP, [test "x$with_stdcpp" = "xyes"])
+AC_ARG_WITH([libstdc++],
+	[AS_HELP_STRING([--with-libstdc++=@<:@yes/no@:>@],
+			[Allow linking with libstdc++ @<:@default=no@:>@])],
+	[with_libstdcxx=$withval],
+	[with_libstdcxx=no])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_LIBSTDCXX, [test "x$with_libstdcxx" = "xyes"])
 
 # Documentation
 have_gtk_doc=false
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 257285636..7b7ccdef1 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ HBSOURCES += $(HB_BASE_RAGEL_GENERATED_sources)
 HBHEADERS = $(HB_BASE_headers)
 HBNODISTHEADERS = $(HB_NODIST_headers)
 
-if !WITHSTDCPP
+if !WITH_LIBSTDCXX
 # Make sure we don't link to libstdc++
 HBCFLAGS += -fno-rtti -fno-exceptions
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ export_symbols_subset = -export-symbols harfbuzz-subset.def
 harfbuzz_subset_def_dependency = harfbuzz-subset.def
 choosed_linker = $(CXXLINK)
 else
-if WITHSTDCPP
+if WITH_LIBSTDCXX
 choosed_linker = $(CXXLINK)
 else
 if HAVE_GCC
@@ -340,11 +340,16 @@ dist_check_SCRIPTS = \
 	check-externs.sh \
 	check-header-guards.sh \
 	check-includes.sh \
-	check-libstdc++.sh \
 	check-static-inits.sh \
 	check-symbols.sh \
 	$(NULL)
 
+if !WITH_LIBSTDCXX
+dist_check_SCRIPTS += \
+	check-libstdc++.sh \
+	$(NULL)
+endif
+
 check_PROGRAMS = \
 	test-ot-tag \
 	$(NULL)