diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6c8ca8869..23e3a3603 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -323,6 +323,9 @@ case $host in
 esac
 
 if test x$use_comparison_tool != xno; then
+  if test x$JAVA = x; then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR("comparison tool set but java not found")
+  fi
   AC_SUBST(JAVA_COMPARISON_TOOL, $use_comparison_tool)
 fi
 
diff --git a/depends/config.site.in b/depends/config.site.in
index 873f66018..48c062eb9 100644
--- a/depends/config.site.in
+++ b/depends/config.site.in
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ fi
 if test -z $with_protoc_bindir; then
   with_protoc_bindir=$prefix/native/bin
 fi
-if test -z $with_comparison_tool; then
-  with_comparison_tool=$prefix/native/share/BitcoindComparisonTool_jar/BitcoindComparisonTool.jar
-fi
+# Disable comparison utility (#592)
+#if test -z $with_comparison_tool; then
+#  with_comparison_tool=$prefix/native/share/BitcoindComparisonTool_jar/BitcoindComparisonTool.jar
+#fi
 
 
 if test -z $enable_wallet && test -n "@no_wallet@"; then