diff --git a/opal/mca/memory/patcher/configure.m4 b/opal/mca/memory/patcher/configure.m4
index f911a0a4bd..6881ec6936 100644
--- a/opal/mca/memory/patcher/configure.m4
+++ b/opal/mca/memory/patcher/configure.m4
@@ -36,57 +36,17 @@ AC_DEFUN([MCA_opal_memory_patcher_COMPILE_MODE], [
 AC_DEFUN([MCA_opal_memory_patcher_CONFIG],[
     AC_CONFIG_FILES([opal/mca/memory/patcher/Makefile])
 
-    OPAL_VAR_SCOPE_PUSH([memory_patcher_have___curbrk memory_patcher_have___mmap memory_patcher_have___syscall memory_patcher_have___mmap_prototype memory_patcher_have___syscall_prototype])
-
-    memory_patcher_have___curbrk=0
-    memory_patcher_have___mmap=0
-    memory_patcher_have___mmap_prototype=0
-    memory_patcher_have___syscall=0
-    memory_patcher_have___syscall_prototype=0
-
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([for __curbrk symbol])
-    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([extern char *__curbrk;],[char *tmp = __curbrk;])],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-                    memory_patcher_have___curbrk=1],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])])
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___CURBRK], [$memory_patcher_have___curbrk],
-                       [Whether the glibc __curbrk exists])
-
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether __mmap prototype exists])
-    AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([#include <sys/mman.h>],[char *tmp = __mmap (NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0);])],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-                    memory_patcher_have___mmap_prototype=1],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])])
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___MMAP_PROTO], [$memory_patcher_have___mmap_prototype],
-                       [Whether the internal __mmap call has a prototype])
-
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether __mmap symbol exists])
-    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([void *__mmap ();],[char *tmp = __mmap ();])],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-                    memory_patcher_have___mmap=1],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])])
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___MMAP], [$memory_patcher_have___mmap],
-                       [Whether the internal __mmap call exists])
-
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether __syscall prototype exists])
-    AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([#include <sys/syscall.h>],[char *tmp = __syscall (SYS_mmap, NULL);])],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-                    memory_patcher_have___syscall_prototype=1],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])])
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___SYSCALL_PROTO], [$memory_patcher_have___syscall_prototype],
-                       [Whether the internal __syscall call has a prototype])
-
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether __syscall symbol exists])
-    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([void *__syscall ();],[char *tmp = __syscall ();])],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-                    memory_patcher_have___syscall=1],
-                   [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])])
-    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___SYSCALL], [$memory_patcher_have___syscall],
-                       [Whether the internal __syscall call exists])
+    AC_CHECK_FUNCS([__curbrk])
 
     AC_CHECK_HEADERS([linux/mman.h sys/syscall.h])
 
-    [$1]
+    AC_CHECK_DECLS([__mmap], [], [], [#include <sys/mman.h>])
 
-    OPAL_VAR_SCOPE_POP
+    AC_CHECK_FUNCS([__mmap])
+
+    AC_CHECK_DECLS([__syscall], [], [], [#include <sys/syscall.h>])
+
+    AC_CHECK_FUNCS([__syscall])
+
+    [$1]
 ])
diff --git a/opal/mca/memory/patcher/memory_patcher_component.c b/opal/mca/memory/patcher/memory_patcher_component.c
index 32ef1568dd..c47ce40855 100644
--- a/opal/mca/memory/patcher/memory_patcher_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/memory/patcher/memory_patcher_component.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ opal_memory_patcher_component_t mca_memory_patcher_component = {
        it out) */
 };
 
-#if OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___SYSCALL_PROTO && OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___SYSCALL
+#if HAVE_DECL___SYSCALL && defined(HAVE___SYSCALL)
 /* calling __syscall is preferred on some systems when some arguments may be 64-bit. it also
  * has the benefit of having an off_t return type */
 #define memory_patcher_syscall __syscall
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ opal_memory_patcher_component_t mca_memory_patcher_component = {
  */
 #if 0
 
-#if OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___MMAP && !OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___MMAP_PROTO
+#if defined(HAVE___MMAP) && !HAVE_DECL___MMAP
 /* prototype for Apple's internal mmap function */
 void *__mmap (void *start, size_t length, int prot, int flags, int fd, off_t offset);
 #endif
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ static void *intercept_mmap(void *start, size_t length, int prot, int flags, int
     }
 
     if (!original_mmap) {
-#if OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___MMAP
+#ifdef HAVE___MMAP
         /* the darwin syscall returns an int not a long so call the underlying __mmap function */
         result = __mmap (start, length, prot, flags, fd, offset);
 #else
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static int intercept_madvise (void *start, size_t length, int advice)
 
 #if defined SYS_brk
 
-#if OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___CURBRK
+#ifdef HAVE___CURBRK
 extern void *__curbrk; /* in libc */
 #endif
 
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ static int intercept_brk (void *addr)
     int result = 0;
     void *old_addr, *new_addr;
 
-#if OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___CURBRK
+#ifdef HAVE___CURBRK
     old_addr = __curbrk;
 #else
     old_addr = sbrk (0);
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ static int intercept_brk (void *addr)
         /* get the current_addr */
         new_addr = (void *) (intptr_t) memory_patcher_syscall(SYS_brk, addr);
 
-#if OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___CURBRK
+#ifdef HAVE___CURBRK
         /*
          * Note: if we were using glibc brk/sbrk, their __curbrk would get
          * updated, but since we're going straight to the syscall, we have
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ static int intercept_brk (void *addr)
 #endif
     } else {
         result = original_brk (addr);
-#if OPAL_MEMORY_PATCHER_HAVE___CURBRK
+#ifdef HAVE___CURBRK
         new_addr = __curbrk;
 #else
         new_addr = sbrk (0);