diff --git a/src/secp256k1/configure.ac b/src/secp256k1/configure.ac
--- a/src/secp256k1/configure.ac
+++ b/src/secp256k1/configure.ac
@@ -163,12 +163,6 @@
 
 AC_CHECK_TYPES([__int128])
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for __builtin_expect])
-AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_SOURCE([[void myfunc() {__builtin_expect(0,0);}]])],
-    [ AC_MSG_RESULT([yes]);AC_DEFINE(HAVE_BUILTIN_EXPECT,1,[Define this symbol if __builtin_expect is available]) ],
-    [ AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-    ])
-
 if test x"$enable_coverage" = x"yes"; then
     AC_DEFINE(COVERAGE, 1, [Define this symbol to compile out all VERIFY code])
     CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -O0 --coverage"
diff --git a/src/secp256k1/src/util.h b/src/secp256k1/src/util.h
--- a/src/secp256k1/src/util.h
+++ b/src/secp256k1/src/util.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 } while(0)
 #endif
 
-#ifdef HAVE_BUILTIN_EXPECT
+#if SECP256K1_GNUC_PREREQ(3, 0)
 #define EXPECT(x,c) __builtin_expect((x),(c))
 #else
 #define EXPECT(x,c) (x)