diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 45417fc2b64..a94f70bb6a5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -384,10 +384,14 @@ opal_show_title "Compiler and preprocessor tests"
 
 OPAL_SETUP_CC
 
-# If we build on a windows environment with the windows compiler and linker
-# then we need some translation functions from the opal/win32 directory.
-AM_CONDITIONAL(OMPI_NEED_WINDOWS_REPLACEMENTS,
-               test "$opal_cv_c_compiler_vendor" = "microsoft" )
+# Open MPI no longer supports 32 bit builds
+AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(void *)
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if build environment is 32 bit])
+AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_sizeof_void_p" = "4"],
+      [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+       AC_MSG_WARN([Sorry, this version of Open MPI does not support building on 32-bit platforms.])
+       AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot continue])])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([no (good)])
 
 # Do all Interix detections if necessary
 OMPI_INTERIX
@@ -481,7 +485,6 @@ AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(float _Complex)
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(double _Complex)
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(long double _Complex)
 
-AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(void *)
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(size_t)
 if test "$ac_cv_type_ssize_t" = yes ; then
     AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(ssize_t)