diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 95737a030..b7aa4371d 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -338,7 +338,14 @@ AC_SUBST(PPPD_PLUGIN_DIR)
 
 # DHCP client
 AC_ARG_WITH([dhcp-client], AS_HELP_STRING([--with-dhcp-client=dhcpcd|dhclient], [path to the chosen dhcp client]))
-if test "x$with_dhcp_client" = "x" || test x`basename "$with_dhcp_client"` = "xdhclient"; then
+# If a full path is given, use that and do not test if it works or not.
+case "${with_dhcp_client}" in
+	/*)
+		DHCP_CLIENT_PATH="${with_dhcp_client}"
+		AC_MSG_NOTICE(using the DHCP client ${DHCP_CLIENT_PATH})
+		;;
+esac
+if test -z "$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" -a \( -z "$with_dhcp_client" -o x`basename "$with_dhcp_client"` = "xdhclient" \); then
 	# We only work with ISC dhclient - the FreeBSD and OpenBSD derivatives don't have the same userland.
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING(for dhclient)
 	for client in "$with_dhcp_client" /sbin/dhclient /usr/pkg/sbin/dhclient /usr/local/sbin/dhclient; do
@@ -347,15 +354,17 @@ if test "x$with_dhcp_client" = "x" || test x`basename "$with_dhcp_client"` = "xd
 			"isc-dhclient-"*) DHCP_CLIENT_PATH="$client"; break;;
 		esac
 	done
-	if test "x$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" = "x"; then
+	if test -z "$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH"; then
 		AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
-		if test "x$with_dhcp_client" != "x"; then
+		if test -n "$with_dhcp_client"; then
 			AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find ISC dhclient])
 		fi
+	else
+		AC_MSG_RESULT($DHCP_CLIENT_PATH)
 	fi
-	AC_MSG_RESULT($DHCP_CLIENT_PATH)
 fi
-if test "x$with_dhcp_client" = "x" -a "x$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" = "x" || test x`basename "$with_dhcp_client"` = "xdhcpcd"; then
+if test -z "$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" -a \( -z "$with_dhcp_client" -o x`basename "$with_dhcp_client"` = "xdhcpcd" \); then
+	test -n "$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" && echo bar
 	# We fully work with upstream dhcpcd-4
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for dhcpcd])
 	for client in "$with_dhcp_client" /sbin/dhcpcd /usr/pkg/sbin/dhcpcd /usr/local/sbin/dhcpcd; do
@@ -365,19 +374,28 @@ if test "x$with_dhcp_client" = "x" -a "x$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" = "x" || test x`basen
 			"dhcpcd "*) DHCP_CLIENT_PATH="$client"; break;;
 		esac
 	done
-	if test "x$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" = "x"; then
+	if test -z "$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH"; then
 		AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
-		if test "x$with_dhcp_client" != "x"; then
+		if test -n "$with_dhcp_client"; then
 			AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find dhcpcd-4 or newer])
 		fi
+	else
+		AC_MSG_RESULT($DHCP_CLIENT_PATH)
 	fi
-	AC_MSG_RESULT($DHCP_CLIENT_PATH)
 fi
-if test "x$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH" = "x"; then
-	AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find a suitable DHCP client])
+if test -z "$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH"; then
+	# DHCP clients are not a build time dependency, only runtime.
+	# dhclient has been the longtime default for NM and it's in /sbin
+	# in most distros, so use it.
+	AC_MSG_WARN([Could not find a suitable DHCP client])
+	DHCP_CLIENT_PATH=/sbin/dhclient
+	AC_MSG_WARN([Falling back to ISC dhclient, ${DHCP_CLIENT_PATH}])
 fi
 AC_SUBST(DHCP_CLIENT_PATH)
 DHCP_CLIENT=`basename "$DHCP_CLIENT_PATH"`
+if test "$DHCP_CLIENT" != "dhclient" -a "$DHCP_CLIENT" != "dhcpcd"; then
+	AC_MSG_ERROR([No backend for the DHCP client ${DHCP_CLIENT}])
+fi
 AC_SUBST(DHCP_CLIENT)
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(more-warnings,