diff --git a/bootstrap.conf b/bootstrap.conf
index 23f803bb..8265660c 100644
--- a/bootstrap.conf
+++ b/bootstrap.conf
@@ -48,4 +48,5 @@ alloca
 fdl
 getloadavg
 host-cpu-c-abi
+strerror
 make-glob"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index de61ed90..f6919a77 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_func_gettimeofday" = yes],
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([strdup strndup umask mkstemp mktemp fdopen \
                 dup dup2 getcwd realpath sigsetmask sigaction \
                 getgroups seteuid setegid setlinebuf setreuid setregid \
-                getrlimit setrlimit setvbuf pipe strerror strsignal \
+                getrlimit setrlimit setvbuf pipe strsignal \
                 lstat readlink atexit isatty ttyname pselect posix_spawn \
                 posix_spawnattr_setsigmask])
 
diff --git a/src/config.ami.template b/src/config.ami.template
index fcc1dad2..647c7fd4 100644
--- a/src/config.ami.template
+++ b/src/config.ami.template
@@ -258,9 +258,6 @@ this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
 /* Define to 1 if you have the stricmp function.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_STRICMP */
 
-/* Define if you have the strerror function.  */
-#define HAVE_STRERROR 1
-
 /* Define if you have the strsignal function.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_STRSIGNAL */
 
diff --git a/src/config.h-vms.template b/src/config.h-vms.template
index 9b90faa2..f957b256 100644
--- a/src/config.h-vms.template
+++ b/src/config.h-vms.template
@@ -298,9 +298,6 @@ this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
 /* Define to 1 if you have the stricmp function.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_STRICMP */
 
-/* Define to 1 if you have the strerror function.  */
-#define HAVE_STRERROR 1
-
 /* Define to 1 if you have the strsignal function.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_STRSIGNAL */
 
diff --git a/src/config.h.W32.template b/src/config.h.W32.template
index 991f0410..b6463b20 100644
--- a/src/config.h.W32.template
+++ b/src/config.h.W32.template
@@ -261,9 +261,6 @@ this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
 /* Define to 1 if you have the 'strdup' function. */
 #define HAVE_STRDUP 1
 
-/* Define to 1 if you have the 'strerror' function. */
-#define HAVE_STRERROR 1
-
 /* Define to 1 if you have the 'stricmp' function. */
 #define HAVE_STRICMP 1
 
diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index ff23d482..7a1b9d9c 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -172,26 +172,6 @@ concat (unsigned int num, ...)
   return result;
 }
 
-
-#ifndef HAVE_STRERROR
-#undef  strerror
-char *
-strerror (int errnum)
-{
-  extern int errno, sys_nerr;
-#ifndef __DECC
-  extern char *sys_errlist[];
-#endif
-  static char buf[] = "Unknown error 12345678901234567890";
-
-  if (errno < sys_nerr)
-    return sys_errlist[errnum];
-
-  sprintf (buf, _("Unknown error %d"), errnum);
-  return buf;
-}
-#endif
-
 /* Like malloc but get fatal error if memory is exhausted.  */
 /* Don't bother if we're using dmalloc; it provides these for us.  */