diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 3744e773..70d0bacc 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1687,7 +1687,7 @@ ac_link='$CC -o conftest$ac_exeext $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $
 ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 
 
-SAVED_CXXFLAGS=$CXXFLAGS
+SAVED_CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
 ac_ext=cpp
 ac_cpp='$CXXCPP $CPPFLAGS'
 ac_compile='$CXX -c $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
@@ -2410,9 +2410,8 @@ case $host_os in *\ *) host_os=`echo "$host_os" | sed 's/ /-/g'`;; esac
 
 
 
-CXXFLAGS="$SAVED_CXXFLAGS -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2"
+CXXFLAGS="$SAVED_CXXFLAGS"
 INCLUDES=""
-LIBS=""
 
 appendLib () {
 	if test "$LIBS" != ""; then
@@ -2446,10 +2445,13 @@ appendLD () {
 	fi
 }
 
+appendCXX "-D_GNU_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2"
+
 case "${host_os}" in
 	freebsd*)
 		appendInc -I/usr/local/include
 		appendLib -L/usr/local/lib -lcompat
+		MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -L/usr/local/lib"
 		appendCXX -D__GNU_LIBRARY__
 	;;
 	solaris*)
@@ -3374,93 +3376,7 @@ echo "$as_me: error: Missing Required libc feature" >&2;}
 fi
 done
 
-if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
-	{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for dlopen" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for dlopen... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
-if test "${ac_cv_func_dlopen+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-/* Define dlopen to an innocuous variant, in case <limits.h> declares dlopen.
-   For example, HP-UX 11i <limits.h> declares gettimeofday.  */
-#define dlopen innocuous_dlopen
 
-/* System header to define __stub macros and hopefully few prototypes,
-    which can conflict with char dlopen (); below.
-    Prefer <limits.h> to <assert.h> if __STDC__ is defined, since
-    <limits.h> exists even on freestanding compilers.  */
-
-#ifdef __STDC__
-# include <limits.h>
-#else
-# include <assert.h>
-#endif
-
-#undef dlopen
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char dlopen ();
-/* The GNU C library defines this for functions which it implements
-    to always fail with ENOSYS.  Some functions are actually named
-    something starting with __ and the normal name is an alias.  */
-#if defined __stub_dlopen || defined __stub___dlopen
-choke me
-#endif
-
-int
-main ()
-{
-return dlopen ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
-if { (ac_try="$ac_link"
-case "(($ac_try" in
-  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
-  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
-esac
-eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
-  (eval "$ac_link") 2>conftest.er1
-  ac_status=$?
-  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
-  rm -f conftest.er1
-  cat conftest.err >&5
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); } && {
-	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
-	 test ! -s conftest.err
-       } && test -s conftest$ac_exeext &&
-       $as_test_x conftest$ac_exeext; then
-  ac_cv_func_dlopen=yes
-else
-  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-	ac_cv_func_dlopen=no
-fi
-
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest_ipa8_conftest.oo \
-      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-fi
-{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_func_dlopen" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_func_dlopen" >&6; }
-if test $ac_cv_func_dlopen = yes; then
-  NOCHECK_DL=1
-fi
-
-fi
 if test -z "$NOSSL"; then
 	if test -n "$OPENSSL"; then
 		appendLib -L${OPENSSL}/lib
@@ -3647,7 +3563,6 @@ fi
 
 
 if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
-	if test -z "$NOCHECK_DL"; then
 
 { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for dlopen in -ldl" >&5
 echo $ECHO_N "checking for dlopen in -ldl... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
@@ -3723,34 +3638,28 @@ echo "$as_me: error: Could not find dlopen. Try --disable-modules" >&2;}
    { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
 fi
 
-		NOCHECK_DL=1
+
+	appendCXX -D_MODULES
+	MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
+	if test -z "$ISSUN"; then
+		appendLD -Wl,--export-dynamic
 	fi
-	if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
-		appendCXX -D_MODULES
-		if test -n "$ISSUN"; then
-			MODFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
-		else
-			MODFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
-			appendLD -Wl,--export-dynamic
-		fi
-		MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -I`pwd`"
-		MODTARGET="modules"
-		if test -z "$NOCHECK_DL"; then
-			appendLib -ldl
-		fi
-		if test -n "$ISSUN"; then
-			MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -mimpure-text"
-		fi
+	MODTARGET="modules"
 
-		appendCXX "-D_MODDIR_=\\\"${MODDIR}\\\""
-		appendCXX "-D_DATADIR_=\\\"${DATADIR}\\\""
+	# FIXME why don't we do this for sun?
+	if test -n "$ISSUN"; then
+		MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -mimpure-text"
+	fi
 
-		if test -z "$NOPERL"; then
-			echo -n "checking for perl... "
-			PERL=`which perl`
-			if test -n "$PERL"; then
-				echo "$PERL"
-				{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for perl_alloc in -lperl" >&5
+	appendCXX "-D_MODDIR_=\\\"${MODDIR}\\\""
+	appendCXX "-D_DATADIR_=\\\"${DATADIR}\\\""
+
+	if test -z "$NOPERL"; then
+		echo -n "checking for perl... "
+		PERL=`which perl`
+		if test -n "$PERL"; then
+			echo "$PERL"
+			{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for perl_alloc in -lperl" >&5
 echo $ECHO_N "checking for perl_alloc in -lperl... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
 if test "${ac_cv_lib_perl_perl_alloc+set}" = set; then
   echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
@@ -3819,16 +3728,15 @@ echo "$as_me: error: Could not find libperl. Try --disable-perl" >&2;}
    { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
 fi
 
-			else
-				echo "no"
-				unset PERL
-				{ { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: Could not find perl binary. Try --disable-perl" >&5
+		else
+			echo "no"
+			{ { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: Could not find perl binary. Try --disable-perl" >&5
 echo "$as_me: error: Could not find perl binary. Try --disable-perl" >&2;}
    { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
-			fi
 		fi
+	fi
 
-		if test -n "$SASL"; then
+	if test -n "$SASL"; then
 
 { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for sasl_server_init in -lsasl2" >&5
 echo $ECHO_N "checking for sasl_server_init in -lsasl2... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
@@ -3899,12 +3807,11 @@ _ACEOF
   LIBS="-lsasl2 $LIBS"
 
 else
-  { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: Could not find libsasl2." >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: Could not find libsasl2." >&2;}
+  { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: Could not find libsasl2. Try --disable-sasl." >&5
+echo "$as_me: error: Could not find libsasl2. Try --disable-sasl." >&2;}
    { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
 fi
 
-		fi
 	fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index bf0b6824..2ca61746 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 dnl Keep the version number in sync with main.h!
 AC_INIT([znc], [0.055])
-SAVED_CXXFLAGS=$CXXFLAGS
+SAVED_CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
 AC_PROG_CXX
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
 
-CXXFLAGS="$SAVED_CXXFLAGS -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2"
+CXXFLAGS="$SAVED_CXXFLAGS"
 INCLUDES=""
-LIBS=""
 
 appendLib () {
 	if test "$LIBS" != ""; then
@@ -40,10 +39,13 @@ appendLD () {
 	fi
 }
 
+appendCXX "-D_GNU_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2"
+
 case "${host_os}" in
 	freebsd*)
 		appendInc -I/usr/local/include
 		appendLib -L/usr/local/lib -lcompat
+		MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -L/usr/local/lib"
 		appendCXX -D__GNU_LIBRARY__
 	;;
 	solaris*)
@@ -103,9 +105,7 @@ fi
 
 AC_CHECK_LIB( gnugetopt, getopt_long,)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS( stat lstat chmod open, , AC_ERROR([Missing Required libc feature]))
-if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
-	AC_CHECK_FUNC( dlopen,NOCHECK_DL=1,)
-fi
+
 if test -z "$NOSSL"; then
 	if test -n "$OPENSSL"; then
 		appendLib -L${OPENSSL}/lib
@@ -136,49 +136,40 @@ AC_ARG_WITH( [module-data-prefix],
 
 
 if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
-	if test -z "$NOCHECK_DL"; then
-		AC_CHECK_LIB( dl, dlopen,, AC_ERROR([Could not find dlopen. Try --disable-modules]))
-		NOCHECK_DL=1
+	AC_CHECK_LIB( dl, dlopen,, AC_ERROR([Could not find dlopen. Try --disable-modules]))
+
+	appendCXX -D_MODULES
+	MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
+	if test -z "$ISSUN"; then
+		appendLD -Wl,--export-dynamic
 	fi
-	if test "$MODULES" = "yes"; then
-		appendCXX -D_MODULES
-		if test -n "$ISSUN"; then
-			MODFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
+	MODTARGET="modules"
+
+	# FIXME why don't we do this for sun?
+	if test -n "$ISSUN"; then
+		MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -mimpure-text"
+	fi
+
+	appendCXX "-D_MODDIR_=\\\"${MODDIR}\\\""
+	appendCXX "-D_DATADIR_=\\\"${DATADIR}\\\""
+
+	if test -z "$NOPERL"; then
+		echo -n "checking for perl... "
+		PERL=`which perl`
+		if test -n "$PERL"; then
+			echo "$PERL"
+			AC_CHECK_LIB(perl, perl_alloc,unset NOPERL,
+				AC_ERROR([Could not find libperl. Try --disable-perl]),
+				[`$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts -e ldopts`])
 		else
-			MODFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
-			appendLD -Wl,--export-dynamic
-		fi
-		MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -I`pwd`"
-		MODTARGET="modules"
-		if test -z "$NOCHECK_DL"; then
-			appendLib -ldl
-		fi
-		if test -n "$ISSUN"; then
-			MODFLAGS="$MODFLAGS -mimpure-text"
+			echo "no"
+			AC_ERROR([Could not find perl binary. Try --disable-perl])
 		fi
+	fi
 
-		appendCXX "-D_MODDIR_=\\\"${MODDIR}\\\""
-		appendCXX "-D_DATADIR_=\\\"${DATADIR}\\\""
-
-		if test -z "$NOPERL"; then
-			echo -n "checking for perl... "
-			PERL=`which perl`
-			if test -n "$PERL"; then
-				echo "$PERL"
-				AC_CHECK_LIB(perl, perl_alloc,unset NOPERL,
-					AC_ERROR([Could not find libperl. Try --disable-perl]),
-					[`$PERL -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts -e ldopts`])
-			else
-				echo "no"
-				unset PERL
-				AC_ERROR([Could not find perl binary. Try --disable-perl])
-			fi
-		fi
-
-		if test -n "$SASL"; then
-			AC_CHECK_LIB( sasl2, sasl_server_init,,
-				AC_ERROR([Could not find libsasl2.]))
-		fi
+	if test -n "$SASL"; then
+		AC_CHECK_LIB( sasl2, sasl_server_init,,
+			AC_ERROR([Could not find libsasl2. Try --disable-sasl.]))
 	fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/modules/Makefile.in b/modules/Makefile.in
index 99da7f32..26f8a638 100644
--- a/modules/Makefile.in
+++ b/modules/Makefile.in
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ libdir      := @libdir@
 sbindir     := @sbindir@
 localstatedir := @localstatedir@
 CXX      := @CXX@
-CXXFLAGS := @CXXFLAGS@
+# CXXFLAGS are for the main binary, so don't even think of using them here
+# CXXFLAGS := @CXXFLAGS@
+MODFLAGS := @MODFLAGS@
 LDFLAGS  := @LDFLAGS@
 INCLUDES := @INCLUDES@ -I..
 LIBS     := @LIBS@
@@ -81,10 +83,10 @@ clean:
 
 ifeq ($(DEPEND), yes)
 %.so: %.cpp
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $< $($(basename $<)FLAGS) -MMD -MF .depend/$<.dep
+	$(CXX) $(MODFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $< $($(basename $<)FLAGS) -MMD -MF .depend/$<.dep
 else
 %.so: %.cpp
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $< $($(basename $<)FLAGS)
+	$(CXX) $(MODFLAGS) $(INCLUDES) $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@ $< $($(basename $<)FLAGS)
 endif
 
 modperl_install: create_install_dir
diff --git a/znc-config.in b/znc-config.in
index 0f67319e..272b5ff7 100644
--- a/znc-config.in
+++ b/znc-config.in
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ exec_prefix="@exec_prefix@"
 datadir="@datadir@"
 datarootdir="@datarootdir@"
 
-CXXFLAGS="@CXXFLAGS@"
+CXXFLAGS="@MODFLAGS@"
 INCLUDES="-I@prefix@/include/znc @INCLUDES@"
 LIBS="@LIBS@"
 MODDIR="@MODDIR@"