diff --git a/src/bin/psql/psql.c b/src/bin/psql/psql.c
index 409705b48c7..8df0998c3e0 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/psql.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/psql.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *    $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/Attic/psql.c,v 1.51 1997/01/25 21:58:08 scrappy Exp $
+ *    $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/psql/Attic/psql.c,v 1.52 1997/01/25 22:16:36 scrappy Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@
 #else
 # ifdef HAVE_READLINE_H
 #  include <readline.h>
-#  ifdef HAVE_HISTORY_H
+#  ifndef NO_HISTORY
 #   include <history.h>
 #  endif
 # else
 #  include <readline/readline.h>
-#  ifdef HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY_H
+#  ifndef NO_HISTORY
 #   include <readline/history.h>
 #  endif
 # endif
diff --git a/src/include/config.h b/src/include/config.h
index fd74b272815..f34189efec0 100644
--- a/src/include/config.h
+++ b/src/include/config.h
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@
 /* #undef HAVE_HISTORY_H */
 /* #undef HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY_H */
 
+/* this is meant to handle the condition where the system has readline
+ * capabilities, but no history.  Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as
+ * testing for the existance of -lhistory, since newer -lreadline seems to
+ * include the -lhistory library, but newer readline.h doesn't
+ */
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBREADLINE)
+# if !defined(HAVE_HISTORY_H) || !defined(HAVE_READLINE_HISTORY_H)
+#   define NO_HISTORY_H
+# endif
+#endif
 
 #define HAVE_SYS_SELECT_H
 #define HAVE_TERMIOS_H