diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 56fa3fb4..b3d00488 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(crypt.h utmp.h \
 dnl shadow now uses the libc's shadow implementation
 AC_CHECK_HEADER([shadow.h],,[AC_MSG_ERROR([You need a libc with shadow.h])])
 
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(arc4random_buf fsync futimes \
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(arc4random_buf futimes \
 	getentropy getrandom getspnam getusershell \
 	getutent initgroups lckpwdf lutimes \
 	setgroups updwtmp updwtmpx innetgr getpwnam_r \
diff --git a/lib/commonio.c b/lib/commonio.c
index 7234e613..119d506e 100644
--- a/lib/commonio.c
+++ b/lib/commonio.c
@@ -986,13 +986,11 @@ int commonio_close (struct commonio_db *db)
 	if (fflush (db->fp) != 0) {
 		errors++;
 	}
-#ifdef HAVE_FSYNC
+
 	if (fsync (fileno (db->fp)) != 0) {
 		errors++;
 	}
-#else				/* !HAVE_FSYNC */
-	sync ();
-#endif				/* !HAVE_FSYNC */
+
 	if (fclose (db->fp) != 0) {
 		errors++;
 	}