diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 60679ced0..c4cc779e1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -86,8 +86,6 @@ AC_PATH_PROG([GIT], [git])
 AC_PATH_PROG(CCACHE,ccache)
 AC_PATH_PROG(XGETTEXT,xgettext)
 AC_PATH_PROG(HEXDUMP,hexdump)
-AC_PATH_TOOL(READELF, readelf)
-AC_PATH_TOOL(CPPFILT, c++filt)
 AC_PATH_TOOL(OBJCOPY, objcopy)
 
 AC_ARG_VAR(PYTHONPATH, Augments the default search path for python module files)
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 61d60ce5f..69049e3a7 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -507,15 +507,13 @@ clean-local:
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(WINDRES) $(DEFS) $(DEFAULT_INCLUDES) $(INCLUDES) $(CPPFLAGS) -DWINDRES_PREPROC -i $< -o $@
 
 check-symbols: $(bin_PROGRAMS)
-if GLIBC_BACK_COMPAT
 	@echo "Checking glibc back compat..."
-	$(AM_V_at) READELF=$(READELF) CPPFILT=$(CPPFILT) $(top_srcdir)/contrib/devtools/symbol-check.py < $(bin_PROGRAMS)
-endif
+	$(AM_V_at) $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/contrib/devtools/symbol-check.py $(bin_PROGRAMS)
 
 check-security: $(bin_PROGRAMS)
 if HARDEN
 	@echo "Checking binary security..."
-	$(AM_V_at) READELF=$(READELF) OBJDUMP=$(OBJDUMP) $(top_srcdir)/contrib/devtools/security-check.py < $(bin_PROGRAMS)
+	$(AM_V_at) $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/contrib/devtools/security-check.py $(bin_PROGRAMS)
 endif
 
 %.pb.cc %.pb.h: %.proto