diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9ea8034f5d7..7bcb894d1fe 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2960,6 +2960,12 @@ if test x$with_system_zlib = xyes ; then
   noconfigdirs="$noconfigdirs zlib"
 fi
 
+# Don't compile the bundled readline/libreadline.a if --with-system-readline
+# is provided.
+if test x$with_system_readline = xyes ; then
+  noconfigdirs="$noconfigdirs readline"
+fi
+
 
 # Check whether --with-zstd was given.
 if test "${with_zstd+set}" = set; then :
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8af83cc98d3..aab451467bd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -248,6 +248,12 @@ if test x$with_system_zlib = xyes ; then
   noconfigdirs="$noconfigdirs zlib"
 fi
 
+# Don't compile the bundled readline/libreadline.a if --with-system-readline
+# is provided.
+if test x$with_system_readline = xyes ; then
+  noconfigdirs="$noconfigdirs readline"
+fi
+
 AC_ARG_WITH(zstd,
 [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-zstd], [Support zstd compressed debug sections (default=auto)])])