diff --git a/m4/dune_common.m4 b/m4/dune_common.m4
index 7169ce3a664f4058621e7ca1fd60972986a0dd81..9ed31dfaea0e470607ccfdf83808e7c3839db930 100644
--- a/m4/dune_common.m4
+++ b/m4/dune_common.m4
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ AC_DEFUN([DUNE_COMMON_CHECKS],
   AC_REQUIRE([AC_STRUCT_TM])
 
   dnl check for library functions
-  AC_REQUIRE([AC_FUNC_MALLOC])
-  #  doesn't work, but we don't need it currently
-  #  AC_REQUIRE([AC_FUNC_REALLOC])
 
   AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
   AC_CHECK_LIB([m], [pow])