diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3497befbd..3b525f94e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug],
 # Turn warnings into errors
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([werror],
     [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-werror],
-                    [Treat certain compiler warnings as errors (default is no)])],
+                    [Treat all compiler warnings as errors (default is no)])],
     [enable_werror=$enableval],
     [enable_werror=no])
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ if test "x$enable_werror" = "xyes"; then
   if test "x$CXXFLAG_WERROR" = "x"; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR("enable-werror set but -Werror is not usable")
   fi
-  AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Werror=vla],[ERROR_CXXFLAGS="$ERROR_CXXFLAGS -Werror=vla"],,[[$CXXFLAG_WERROR]])
+  ERROR_CXXFLAGS="$ERROR_CXXFLAGS -Werror"
 fi
 
 if test "x$CXXFLAGS_overridden" = "xno"; then
diff --git a/zcutil/build.sh b/zcutil/build.sh
index f665088ac..119802d71 100755
--- a/zcutil/build.sh
+++ b/zcutil/build.sh
@@ -132,5 +132,5 @@ ld -v
 
 HOST="$HOST" BUILD="$BUILD" NO_RUST="$RUST_ARG" NO_PROTON="$PROTON_ARG" "$MAKE" "$@" -C ./depends/ V=1
 ./autogen.sh
-CC="$CC" CXX="$CXX" ./configure --prefix="${PREFIX}" --host="$HOST" --build="$BUILD" "$RUST_ARG" "$HARDENING_ARG" "$LCOV_ARG" "$TEST_ARG" "$MINING_ARG" "$PROTON_ARG" "$LIBS_ARG" CXXFLAGS='-fwrapv -fno-strict-aliasing -Wno-builtin-declaration-mismatch -Werror -g'
+CC="$CC" CXX="$CXX" ./configure --prefix="${PREFIX}" --host="$HOST" --build="$BUILD" "$RUST_ARG" "$HARDENING_ARG" "$LCOV_ARG" "$TEST_ARG" "$MINING_ARG" "$PROTON_ARG" "$LIBS_ARG" --enable-werror CXXFLAGS='-fwrapv -fno-strict-aliasing -Wno-builtin-declaration-mismatch -g'
 "$MAKE" "$@" V=1