diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 24f80dbcd..2ad2cbd69 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -399,6 +399,7 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS( gettext, intl,,)
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS( connect, socket, , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find the socket library, needed to build this package.] )] )
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS( nanosleep, rt, , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find the rt library, needed to build this package.] )] )
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS( setupterm, [ncurses curses], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find a curses implementation, needed to build fish])] )
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS( iconv_open, iconv, , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find an iconv implementation, needed to build fish])] )
 
 
 #