diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1d7b642d..30ec7b93 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3457,6 +3457,7 @@ fi
 $as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: perl was not found and thus disabled" >&2;}
 	fi
 
+		PERL_BINARY=""
 	else
 		PERL=yes
 	fi
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 2e7ef9ac..53b57c95 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ if test "x$PERL" != "xno"; then
 		ZNC_AUTO_FAIL([PERL],
 			[perl not found. Try --disable-perl.],
 			[perl was not found and thus disabled])
+		PERL_BINARY=""
 	else
 		PERL=yes
 	fi