diff --git a/opal/mca/pmix/pmix3x/configure.m4 b/opal/mca/pmix/pmix3x/configure.m4
index 646e1debf8..6188960eb3 100644
--- a/opal/mca/pmix/pmix3x/configure.m4
+++ b/opal/mca/pmix/pmix3x/configure.m4
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_opal_pmix_pmix3x_CONFIG],[
           [AC_MSG_RESULT([no - disqualifying this component])
            opal_pmix_pmix3x_happy=0],
           [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes - using the internal v3.x library])
+           AS_IF([test "$opal_pmix_pmix3x_happy" = "0"],
+                 [AC_MSG_WARN([INTERNAL PMIX FAILED TO CONFIGURE])
+                  AC_MSG_ERROR([CANNOT CONTINUE])])
            # Build flags for our Makefile.am
            opal_pmix_pmix3x_LDFLAGS=
            opal_pmix_pmix3x_LIBS="$OPAL_TOP_BUILDDIR/$opal_pmix_pmix3x_basedir/pmix/src/libpmix.la"