diff --git a/cmake/Libraries.cmake b/cmake/Libraries.cmake
index 69e9d86e8..0fa995afc 100644
--- a/cmake/Libraries.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Libraries.cmake
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ macro(configure_unix_libs)
   endif()
 
   check_function_exists(sigwait HAVE_POSIX_SIGWAIT)
+  if (NOT HAVE_POSIX_SIGWAIT)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Missing posix sigwait")
+  endif()
+
   check_function_exists(inet_aton HAVE_INET_ATON)
 
   # For some reason, the check_function_exists macro doesn't detect the
@@ -140,7 +144,6 @@ macro(configure_unix_libs)
       # needed.
       list(APPEND libs nsl socket)
     endif()
-
   endif()
 
   # pthread is used on both Linux and Mac
diff --git a/src/lib/Config.h.in b/src/lib/Config.h.in
index 9d12a568d..9a3036890 100644
--- a/src/lib/Config.h.in
+++ b/src/lib/Config.h.in
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@
 /* Define if you have the `inet_aton` function. */
 #cmakedefine HAVE_INET_ATON @HAVE_INET_ATON@
 
-/* Define if you have a POSIX `sigwait` function. */
-#cmakedefine HAVE_POSIX_SIGWAIT @HAVE_POSIX_SIGWAIT@
-
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <X11/extensions/Xrandr.h> header file. */
 #cmakedefine HAVE_X11_EXTENSIONS_XRANDR_H @HAVE_X11_EXTENSIONS_XRANDR_H@
 
diff --git a/src/lib/arch/unix/ArchMultithreadPosix.cpp b/src/lib/arch/unix/ArchMultithreadPosix.cpp
index e4b4c340a..44e00b0c5 100644
--- a/src/lib/arch/unix/ArchMultithreadPosix.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/arch/unix/ArchMultithreadPosix.cpp
@@ -672,12 +672,8 @@ void *ArchMultithreadPosix::threadSignalHandler(void *)
   // we exit the loop via thread cancellation in sigwait()
   for (;;) {
     // wait
-#if HAVE_POSIX_SIGWAIT
     int signal = 0;
     sigwait(&sigset, &signal);
-#else
-    sigwait(&sigset);
-#endif
 
     // if we get here then the signal was raised
     switch (signal) {