diff -ru xemacs-21.5.20.orig/configure.ac xemacs-21.5.20/configure.ac
--- xemacs-21.5.20.orig/configure.ac	2005-03-11 12:19:01.000000000 +0100
+++ xemacs-21.5.20/configure.ac	2005-05-13 11:41:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -4917,8 +4917,8 @@
 
 dnl Check for DBM support in libgdbm.
 if test "$enable_database_gdbm" != "no"; then
-  AC_CHECK_LIB(gdbm, dbm_open, [
-   enable_database_gdbm=yes enable_database_dbm=no libdbm=-lgdbm], [
+  AC_CHECK_LIB(ndbm, dbm_open, [
+   enable_database_gdbm=yes enable_database_dbm=no libdbm=-lndbm], [
    if test "$enable_database_gdbm" = "yes"; then
      XE_DIE("Required GNU DBM support cannot be provided.")
    fi