diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b8eb848b3301a9ba14c2b3c81798ac069df1d4f4..f98bded549869fedf20619c9ef8f025a6e0228db 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1476,10 +1476,6 @@ if test X"$OPT_LIBSSH2" != Xno; then
     LIBSSH2_ENABLED=1
     AC_DEFINE(USE_LIBSSH2, 1, [if libSSH2 is in use])
     AC_SUBST(USE_LIBSSH2, [1])
-
-    dnl check for this function only present in libssh2 0.19+
-    AC_CHECK_FUNCS( libssh2_session_block_directions )
-
   )
 
   if test X"$OPT_LIBSSH2" != Xoff &&
diff --git a/lib/ssh.h b/lib/ssh.h
index 48612245f23d0579c5f21c8109ef1e279cfb55e1..a8a9f5267c006ce3c224ac1398c82f0f9891589b 100644
--- a/lib/ssh.h
+++ b/lib/ssh.h
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #if (LIBSSH2_VERSION_NUM >= 0x001300)
-#  ifndef HAVE_LIBSSH2_SESSION_BLOCK_DIRECTIONS
-#    define HAVE_LIBSSH2_SESSION_BLOCK_DIRECTIONS 1
-#  endif
+#  define HAVE_LIBSSH2_SESSION_BLOCK_DIRECTIONS 1
+#else
+#  undef HAVE_LIBSSH2_SESSION_BLOCK_DIRECTIONS
 #endif
 
 extern const struct Curl_handler Curl_handler_scp;