diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a5fdab4f..7ba46b71 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3718,7 +3718,7 @@ $as_echo "no" >&6; }
 fi
 
 
-	if test -n "$PERL_BINARY"; then
+	if test -n "$PERL_BINARY" && eval "$PERL_BINARY -e'use 5.010'"; then
 		my_saved_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
 		appendLD `$PERL_BINARY -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts -e ldopts`
 		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for perl_alloc in -lperl" >&5
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 434faea5..457c42b8 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ if test "x$PERL" != "xno"; then
 	old_PERL="$PERL"
 	old_SWIG="$SWIG"
 	AC_PATH_PROG([PERL_BINARY], [perl], [])
-	if test -n "$PERL_BINARY"; then
+	if test -n "$PERL_BINARY" && eval "$PERL_BINARY -e'use 5.010'"; then
 		my_saved_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
 		appendLD `$PERL_BINARY -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts -e ldopts`
 		AC_CHECK_LIB(perl, perl_alloc,
diff --git a/modules/modperl/startup.pl b/modules/modperl/startup.pl
index 59439c40..adc912b7 100644
--- a/modules/modperl/startup.pl
+++ b/modules/modperl/startup.pl
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 # by the Free Software Foundation.
 #
 
+use 5.010;
 use strict;
 use warnings;
 use ZNC;