diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a94ad7eae4..06641117f8 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -34736,10 +34736,17 @@ if test "$wxUSE_GUI" = "yes"; then
 else         SUBDIRS="samples utils"
 fi
 
-for subdir in echo `$SUBDIRS`; do
+for subdir in `echo $SUBDIRS`; do
     if test -d ${srcdir}/${subdir} ; then
         if test "$wxUSE_GUI" = "yes"; then
-            makefiles=`(cd $srcdir ; find $subdir -name Makefile.in)`
+            if test ${subdir} = "samples"; then
+                                                for sample in `echo $SAMPLES_SUBDIRS`; do
+                    if test -d $srcdir/samples/$sample; then
+                        makefiles="samples/$sample/Makefile.in $makefiles"
+                    fi
+                done
+            else                 makefiles=`(cd $srcdir ; find $subdir -name Makefile.in)`
+            fi
         else                                     if test ${subdir} = "samples"; then
                 makefiles="samples/console/Makefile.in"
             else                 makefiles="utils/HelpGen/Makefile.in \
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index dcecf7cf1c..0f32a89f95 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -5804,10 +5804,20 @@ else dnl we build wxBase only
     SUBDIRS="samples utils"
 fi
 
-for subdir in echo `$SUBDIRS`; do
+for subdir in `echo $SUBDIRS`; do
     if test -d ${srcdir}/${subdir} ; then
         if test "$wxUSE_GUI" = "yes"; then
-            makefiles=`(cd $srcdir ; find $subdir -name Makefile.in)`
+            if test ${subdir} = "samples"; then
+                dnl only take those samples which compile in the current
+                dnl configuration and which exist
+                for sample in `echo $SAMPLES_SUBDIRS`; do
+                    if test -d $srcdir/samples/$sample; then
+                        makefiles="samples/$sample/Makefile.in $makefiles"
+                    fi
+                done
+            else dnl assume that everything compiles for utils &c
+                makefiles=`(cd $srcdir ; find $subdir -name Makefile.in)`
+            fi
         else dnl we build wxBase only
             dnl don't take all samples/utils, just those which build with
             dnl wxBase