diff --git a/browser/confvars.sh b/browser/confvars.sh
index de43cf98711..94d06366596 100755
--- a/browser/confvars.sh
+++ b/browser/confvars.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ MOZ_UPDATER=1
 MOZ_PHOENIX=1
 
 MOZ_ENABLE_LIBXUL=1
+MOZ_STATIC_BUILD_UNSUPPORTED=1
 MOZ_PLACES=1
 # always enabled for form history
 MOZ_MORKREADER=1
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index bfb78eb86ec..93f1114412f 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -7161,6 +7161,10 @@ MOZ_ARG_ENABLE_BOOL(libxul,
     MOZ_ENABLE_LIBXUL=1,
     MOZ_ENABLE_LIBXUL=)
 
+if test -n "$MOZ_STATIC_BUILD_UNSUPPORTED" -a -n "$BUILD_STATIC_LIBS"; then
+	AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-static is not supported for building $MOZ_APP_NAME. You probably want --enable-libxul.])
+fi
+
 if test -n "$MOZ_ENABLE_LIBXUL" -a -n "$BUILD_STATIC_LIBS"; then
 	AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-libxul is not compatible with --enable-static])
 fi