diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 900cd28402..367a072720 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -238,6 +238,10 @@ AS_IF([test "$GCC" = yes], [
     linker_flag=
 ])
 
+AS_IF([test "$GCC" = yes -a "$gcc_major" -lt 3 ], [
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([too old GCC])
+])
+
 RUBY_PROG_GNU_LD
 RUBY_CPPOUTFILE
 
diff --git a/marshal.c b/marshal.c
index 365c468e02..0618400114 100644
--- a/marshal.c
+++ b/marshal.c
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@
 
 **********************************************************************/
 
-#if defined __GNUC__ && __GNUC__ < 3
-# error too old GCC
-#endif
-
 #include "ruby/ruby.h"
 #include "ruby/io.h"
 #include "internal.h"