diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8876707..a69d7bf 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -77,6 +77,19 @@ old_cflags="$CFLAGS"
 OBJC='$(OBJZ) $(OBJG)'
 PIC_OBJC='$(PIC_OBJZ) $(PIC_OBJG)'
 
+# leave this script, optionally in a bad way
+leave()
+{
+  if test "$*" != "0"; then
+    echo "** $0 aborting." | tee -a configure.log
+  fi
+  rm -f $test.[co] $test $test$shared_ext $test.gcno ./--version
+  echo -------------------- >> configure.log
+  echo >> configure.log
+  echo >> configure.log
+  exit $1
+}
+
 # process command line options
 while test $# -ge 1
 do
@@ -106,13 +119,17 @@ case "$1" in
     -a*=* | --archs=*) ARCHS=`echo $1 | sed 's/.*=//'`; shift ;;
     --sysconfdir=*) echo "ignored option: --sysconfdir" | tee -a configure.log; shift ;;
     --localstatedir=*) echo "ignored option: --localstatedir" | tee -a configure.log; shift ;;
-    *) echo "unknown option: $1"; echo "$0 --help for help" | tee -a configure.log; exit 1 ;;
+    *)
+      echo "unknown option: $1" | tee -a configure.log
+      echo "$0 --help for help" | tee -a configure.log
+      leave 1;;
     esac
 done
 
-# define functions for testing compiler and library characteristics and logging the results
+# temporary file name
 test=ztest$$
 
+# put arguments in log, also put test file in log if used in arguments
 show()
 {
   case "$*" in
@@ -124,43 +141,6 @@ show()
   echo $* >> configure.log
 }
 
-cat > $test.c <<EOF
-#error error
-EOF
-if ($CC -c $CFLAGS $test.c) 2>/dev/null; then
-  try()
-  {
-    show $*
-    test "`( $* ) 2>&1 | tee -a configure.log`" = ""
-  }
-  echo - using any output from compiler to indicate an error >> configure.log
-else
-  try()
-  {
-    show $*
-    ( $* ) >> configure.log 2>&1
-    ret=$?
-    if test $ret -ne 0; then
-      echo "(exit code "$ret")" >> configure.log
-    fi
-    return $ret
-  }
-fi
-
-tryboth()
-{
-  show $*
-  got=`( $* ) 2>&1`
-  ret=$?
-  printf %s "$got" >> configure.log
-  if test $ret -ne 0; then
-    return $ret
-  fi
-  test "$got" = ""
-}
-
-echo >> configure.log
-
 # check for gcc vs. cc and set compile and link flags based on the system identified by uname
 cat > $test.c <<EOF
 extern int getchar();
@@ -179,8 +159,8 @@ case `$cc -v 2>&1` in
   *gcc*) gcc=1 ;;
 esac
 
-show $cc -c $cflags $test.c
-if test "$gcc" -eq 1 && ($cc -c $cflags $test.c) >> configure.log 2>&1; then
+show $cc -c $test.c
+if test "$gcc" -eq 1 && ($cc -c $test.c) >> configure.log 2>&1; then
   echo ... using gcc >> configure.log
   CC="$cc"
   CFLAGS="${CFLAGS--O3} ${ARCHS}"
@@ -208,7 +188,7 @@ if test "$gcc" -eq 1 && ($cc -c $cflags $test.c) >> configure.log 2>&1; then
 # temporary bypass
         rm -f $test.[co] $test $test$shared_ext
         echo "Please use win32/Makefile.gcc instead." | tee -a configure.log
-        exit 1
+        leave 1
         LDSHARED=${LDSHARED-"$cc -shared"}
         LDSHAREDLIBC=""
         EXE='.exe' ;;
@@ -338,7 +318,59 @@ SHAREDLIBM=${SHAREDLIBM-"libz$shared_ext.$VER1"}
 
 echo >> configure.log
 
+# define functions for testing compiler and library characteristics and logging the results
+
+cat > $test.c <<EOF
+#error error
+EOF
+if ($CC -c $CFLAGS $test.c) 2>/dev/null; then
+  try()
+  {
+    show $*
+    test "`( $* ) 2>&1 | tee -a configure.log`" = ""
+  }
+  echo - using any output from compiler to indicate an error >> configure.log
+else
+try()
+{
+  show $*
+  ( $* ) >> configure.log 2>&1
+  ret=$?
+  if test $ret -ne 0; then
+    echo "(exit code "$ret")" >> configure.log
+  fi
+  return $ret
+}
+fi
+
+tryboth()
+{
+  show $*
+  got=`( $* ) 2>&1`
+  ret=$?
+  printf %s "$got" >> configure.log
+  if test $ret -ne 0; then
+    return $ret
+  fi
+  test "$got" = ""
+}
+
+cat > $test.c << EOF
+int foo() { return 0; }
+EOF
+echo "Checking for obsessive-compulsive compiler options..." >> configure.log
+if ! try $CC -c $CFLAGS $test.c; then
+  echo "Compiler error reporting is too harsh for $0 (perhaps remove -Werror)." | tee -a configure.log
+  leave 1
+fi
+
+echo >> configure.log
+
 # see if shared library build supported
+cat > $test.c <<EOF
+extern int getchar();
+int hello() {return getchar();}
+EOF
 if test $shared -eq 1; then
   echo Checking for shared library support... | tee -a configure.log
   # we must test in two steps (cc then ld), required at least on SunOS 4.x
@@ -366,8 +398,6 @@ else
   TEST="all teststatic testshared"
 fi
 
-echo >> configure.log
-
 # check for underscores in external names for use by assembler code
 CPP=${CPP-"$CC -E"}
 case $CFLAGS in
@@ -709,14 +739,14 @@ cat > $test.c <<EOF
 #include <stdio.h>
 #define is32(n,t) for(n=1,k=0;n;n<<=1,k++);if(k==32){puts(t);return 0;}
 int main() {
-    int k;
-    unsigned i;
-    unsigned long l;
-    unsigned short s;
-    is32(i, "unsigned")
-    is32(l, "unsigned long")
-    is32(s, "unsigned short")
-    return 1;
+  int k;
+  unsigned i;
+  unsigned long l;
+  unsigned short s;
+  is32(i, "unsigned")
+  is32(l, "unsigned long")
+  is32(s, "unsigned short")
+  return 1;
 }
 EOF
 Z_U4=""
@@ -728,9 +758,6 @@ else
   echo "Looking for a four-byte integer type... Not found." | tee -a configure.log
 fi
 
-# clean up files produced by running the compiler and linker
-rm -f $test.[co] $test $test$shared_ext $test.gcno ./--version
-
 # show the results in the log
 echo >> configure.log
 echo ALL = $ALL >> configure.log
@@ -762,9 +789,6 @@ echo mandir = $mandir >> configure.log
 echo prefix = $prefix >> configure.log
 echo sharedlibdir = $sharedlibdir >> configure.log
 echo uname = $uname >> configure.log
-echo -------------------- >> configure.log
-echo >> configure.log
-echo >> configure.log
 
 # udpate Makefile with the configure results
 sed < Makefile.in "
@@ -820,3 +844,6 @@ sed < zlib.pc.in "
 " | sed -e "
 s/\@VERSION\@/$VER/g;
 " > zlib.pc
+
+# done
+leave 0