diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 54573a48a0d..cf2fc9dee98 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -671,6 +671,7 @@ CPP
 OPENGL_LIBS
 XLIB
 PRELINK
+MAINTAINER_MODE
 ICOTOOL
 CONVERT
 RSVG
@@ -715,7 +716,6 @@ build_os
 build_vendor
 build_cpu
 build
-MAINTAINER_MODE
 target_alias
 host_alias
 build_alias
@@ -2490,9 +2490,6 @@ fi
 # Check whether --enable-maintainer-mode was given.
 if test "${enable_maintainer_mode+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_maintainer_mode;
-else
-  MAINTAINER_MODE=\#
-
 fi
 
 
@@ -5106,8 +5103,11 @@ done
 test -n "$ICOTOOL" || ICOTOOL="false"
 
 
-if test "${enable_maintainer_mode+set}" = set
+if test "x$enable_maintainer_mode" != "xyes"
 then
+  MAINTAINER_MODE=\#
+
+else
   if test "$FONTFORGE" = "false"; then as_fn_append wine_warnings "|fontforge is missing, fonts can't be rebuilt."; fi
   if test "$RSVG" = "false"; then as_fn_append wine_warnings "|rsvg is missing, icons can't be rebuilt."; fi
 
@@ -11895,7 +11895,7 @@ $as_echo "$ac_cv_c_string_h_warnings" >&6; }
     EXTRACFLAGS="$EXTRACFLAGS -Wpointer-arith"
   fi
 
-    if test "${enable_maintainer_mode+set}" = set
+    if test "x$enable_maintainer_mode" = "xyes"
   then
       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether the compiler supports -Werror" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking whether the compiler supports -Werror... " >&6; }
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4c0cdbecce4..8d2dffe2245 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ dnl **** Command-line arguments ****
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(win16, AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-win16],[do not include Win16 support]))
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(win64, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-win64],[build a Win64 emulator on AMD64 (won't run Win32 binaries)]))
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(tests, AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-tests],[do not build the regression tests]))
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(maintainer-mode, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-maintainer-mode],[enable maintainer-specific build rules]),
-                               ,[AC_SUBST([MAINTAINER_MODE],[\#])])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(maintainer-mode, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-maintainer-mode],[enable maintainer-specific build rules]))
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(alsa,      AS_HELP_STRING([--without-alsa],[do not use the Alsa sound support]),
             [if test "x$withval" = "xno"; then ac_cv_header_sys_asoundlib_h=no; ac_cv_header_alsa_asoundlib_h=no; fi])
@@ -286,8 +285,10 @@ AC_CHECK_PROGS(RSVG, rsvg, false)
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(CONVERT, convert, false)
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(ICOTOOL, icotool, false)
 
-if test "${enable_maintainer_mode+set}" = set
+if test "x$enable_maintainer_mode" != "xyes"
 then
+  AC_SUBST([MAINTAINER_MODE],[\#])
+else
   if test "$FONTFORGE" = "false"; then WINE_WARNING([fontforge is missing, fonts can't be rebuilt.]); fi
   if test "$RSVG" = "false"; then WINE_WARNING([rsvg is missing, icons can't be rebuilt.]); fi
 
@@ -1610,7 +1611,7 @@ then
   fi
 
   dnl Enable -Werror for maintainer mode
-  if test "${enable_maintainer_mode+set}" = set
+  if test "x$enable_maintainer_mode" = "xyes"
   then
       WINE_TRY_CFLAGS([-Werror])
   fi