--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -981,33 +981,13 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([mysql],
     AC_CHECK_LIB([mysqlclient], [mysql_init],
       [AC_CHECK_HEADERS([mysql/mysql.h],
          [MYSQL_LDFLAGS="-L$MYSQL_LIBDIR"
-          mysql=true],
+          mysql=true
+          mysql8=true],
          [mysql=false])],
       [mysql=false])])
 AC_SUBST(MYSQL_LDFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(MYSQL_CPPFLAGS)
 
-# additional version checks for mysql
-AS_IF([test "x$mysql" = "xtrue"],
-  [AC_MSG_CHECKING([for mysql version])
-   AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
-     [[include <mysql/mysql_version.h>]],
-     [[#if (MYSQL_VERSION_ID < 40100)
-#error required at least version 4.1
-#endif]])],
-     [mysql=true],
-     [mysql=false])
-   AS_IF([test "x$mysql" = "xfalse"],
-     [AC_MSG_RESULT([< 4.1])
-      AC_MSG_RESULT([mysql version >= 4.1 required. Will not use MySQL])])
-   AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
-     [[#include <mysql/mysql_version.h>]],
-     [[#if (MYSQL_VERSION_ID < 80000)
-#error needs at least version 8.0
-#endif]])],
-     [mysql8=true],
-     [mysql8=false])])
-
 AS_IF([test "x$mysql" = "xtrue"],
   [AS_IF([test "x$mysql8" = "xfalse"],
      [AC_MSG_RESULT([between 4.1 and 8.0])],