diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c5a671e89..6c02cc438 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -528,9 +528,9 @@ IF(ENABLE_NETCDF_4)
   SET(ENABLE_NETCDF4 ON CACHE BOOL "")
 ELSE()
   SET(USE_HDF4_FILE_TESTS OFF)
-  SET(USE_HDF4 OFF)  
+  SET(USE_HDF4 OFF)
   SET(ENABLE_HDF4_FILE_TESTS OFF)
-  SET(ENABLE_HDF4 OFF)  
+  SET(ENABLE_HDF4 OFF)
 ENDIF()
 
 # Option to allow for strict null file padding.
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ IF(STATUS_RELAX_COORD_BOUND)
 ENDIF()
 
 # Enable Parallel Tests.
-OPTION(ENABLE_PARALLEL_TESTS "Enable Parallel IO Tests. Ignored if netCDF4 is not enabled, or if there is no parallel I/O Support." ${USE_PARALLEL})
+OPTION(ENABLE_PARALLEL_TESTS "Enable Parallel IO Tests. Requires HDF5/NetCDF4 with parallel I/O Support." ${USE_PARALLEL})
 IF(ENABLE_PARALLEL_TESTS AND USE_PARALLEL)
   SET(TEST_PARALLEL ON CACHE BOOL "")
   IF(USE_NETCDF4)
@@ -1093,6 +1093,10 @@ IF(ENABLE_PARALLEL_TESTS AND USE_PARALLEL)
   ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
 
+IF (ENABLE_PARALLEL_TESTS AND NOT USE_PARALLEL)
+  MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "Parallel tests requested, but no parallel HDF5 installation detected.")
+ENDIF()
+
 # Enable special filter test; experimental when using cmake.
 OPTION(ENABLE_FILTER_TESTING "Enable filter testing. Ignored if shared libraries or netCDF4 are not enabled" OFF)
 IF(NOT ENABLE_NETCDF4)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f504617d1..6172fa511 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([hdf4], [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-hdf4],
               [build netcdf-4 with HDF4 read capability (HDF4, HDF5 and zlib required)])])
 test "x$enable_hdf4" = xyes || enable_hdf4=no
 if test "x$enable_hdf4" = xyes -a "x$enable_netcdf_4" = xno; then
-      AC_MSG_ERROR([NetCDF-4 is required for HDF4 features])   
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([NetCDF-4 is required for HDF4 features])
 fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT($enable_hdf4)
 
@@ -243,9 +243,8 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT($enable_extra_example_tests)
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether parallel IO tests should be run])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([parallel-tests],
               [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-parallel-tests],
-                              [Run extra parallel IO tests. Ignored if \
-                               netCDF-4 is not enabled, or built on a system \
-                               without parallel I/O support.])])
+                              [Run extra parallel IO tests. Requires netCDF-4
+                              with parallel I/O support.])])
 test "x$enable_parallel_tests" = xyes || enable_parallel_tests=no
 AC_MSG_RESULT($enable_parallel_tests)
 
@@ -934,7 +933,9 @@ if test "x$enable_netcdf_4" = xyes; then
 
    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([hdf5.h], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Compiling a test with HDF5 failed.  Either hdf5.h cannot be found, or config.log should be checked for other reason.])])
    AC_CHECK_FUNCS([H5Z_SZIP])
+   hdf5_parallel=no
 
+   AC_CHECK_FUNCS([H5Pget_fapl_mpiposix H5Pget_fapl_mpio H5Pset_deflate H5Z_SZIP H5free_memory H5Pset_libver_bounds H5Pset_all_coll_metadata_ops])
    # The user may have parallel HDF5 based on MPI POSIX.
    if test "x$ac_cv_func_H5Pget_fapl_mpiposix" = xyes; then
       AC_DEFINE([USE_PARALLEL_POSIX], [1], [if true, compile in parallel netCDF-4 based on MPI/POSIX])
@@ -955,9 +956,18 @@ if test "x$enable_netcdf_4" = xyes; then
    if test "x$ac_cv_func_H5Pget_fapl_mpio" = xyes -o "x$ac_cv_func_H5Pget_fapl_mpiposix" = xyes; then
       hdf5_parallel=yes
    fi
+
    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether parallel io is enabled in hdf5])
    AC_MSG_RESULT([$hdf5_parallel])
 
+   if test "x$hdf5_parallel" = "xno"; then
+      if test "x$enable_parallel_tests" = "xyes"; then
+         AC_MSG_ERROR([Parallel tests requested, but no parallel HDF5 installation detected.])
+      fi
+   fi
+
+
+
    # The user may have built HDF5 with the SZLIB library.
    enable_szlib=no
    if test "x$ac_cv_func_H5Z_SZIP" = xyes; then