diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ae15ff8d..56fa3fb4 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 fchown fsync futimes \
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(arc4random_buf fsync 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 df26c2b8..7234e613 100644
--- a/lib/commonio.c
+++ b/lib/commonio.c
@@ -251,16 +251,9 @@ static /*@null@*/ /*@dependent@*/FILE *fopen_set_perms (
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-#ifdef HAVE_FCHOWN
 	if (fchown (fileno (fp), sb->st_uid, sb->st_gid) != 0) {
 		goto fail;
 	}
-#else				/* !HAVE_FCHOWN */
-	if (chown (name, sb->st_mode) != 0) {
-		goto fail;
-	}
-#endif				/* !HAVE_FCHOWN */
-
 	if (fchmod (fileno (fp), sb->st_mode & 0664) != 0) {
 		goto fail;
 	}