diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0014f85..5601a1c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -290,20 +290,6 @@ fi
 ## Build static libraries by default. Furthermore, fortran shared libraries
 ## are unsupported. Disallow a user from enabling both shared libraries and
 ## fortran.
-if test "X${enable_shared}" != "Xyes"; then
-    enable_shared="no"
-fi
-
-if test "X${enable_shared}" = "Xyes"; then
-    if test "X${BUILD_FORTRAN}" = "Xyes"; then
-        AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot build shared fortran libraries. Please configure with --disable-fortran flag.])
-    fi
-fi
-
-AC_PROG_INSTALL
-AC_PROG_LN_S
-
-AC_CHECK_PROGS([AR], [ar xar], [:], [$PATH])
 
 AC_CHECK_PROGS([YACC], ['bison -y' byacc yacc], [none], [])
 
@@ -948,11 +934,6 @@ done
 ## ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ## Check to see if libtool has enabled shared libraries. Set a conditional
 ## as some Makefiles will build based on availability of shared libraries.
-if (./libtool --features | grep '^enable shared libraries' > /dev/null); then
-  enable_shared=yes
-else
-  enable_shared=no
-fi
 
 ## ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ## Specify shared library extension the host machine should recognize.