diff --git a/m4/mono.m4 b/m4/mono.m4
index b9b9707..7b9d412 100644
--- a/m4/mono.m4
+++ b/m4/mono.m4
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ AC_DEFUN([SHAMROCK_FIND_PROGRAM_OR_BAIL],
 [
 	SHAMROCK_FIND_PROGRAM($1, $2, no)
 	if test "x$$1" = "xno"; then
-		AC_MSG_ERROR([You need to install '$2'])
+		if test "X$with_mono" = "Xyes"; then
+			AC_MSG_ERROR([You need to install '$2'])
+		else
+			mono_detected=no
+		fi
 	fi
 ])
 
@@ -40,7 +44,14 @@ AC_DEFUN([SHAMROCK_FIND_MONO_RUNTIME],
 
 AC_DEFUN([SHAMROCK_CHECK_MONO_MODULE],
 [
-	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONO_MODULE, mono >= $1)
+	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(MONO_MODULE, mono >= $1, found_mono="yes", found_mono="no")
+	if test "x$found_mono" = "xno"; then
+		if test "X$with_mono" = "Xyes"; then
+			AC_MSG_ERROR([You need to install mono])
+		else
+			mono_detected=no
+		fi
+	fi
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([CHECK_GLIB_GTK_SHARP],
@@ -53,6 +64,13 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_GLIB_GTK_SHARP],
 	PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GLIBSHARP,
 		glib-sharp-2.0 >= $GTK_SHARP_MIN_VERSION, [], found_gtksharp="no")
 	AC_SUBST(GLIBSHARP_LIBS)
+	if test "X$found_gtksharp" != "Xyes"; then
+		if test "X$with_mono" = "Xyes"; then
+			AC_MSG_ERROR([You need to install gtk-sharp])
+		else
+			mono_detected=no
+		fi
+	fi
 ])
 
 dnl check for mono and required dependencies
@@ -60,22 +78,20 @@ AC_DEFUN([LIBGPOD_CHECK_MONO],
 [
     AC_ARG_WITH(mono,
         AC_HELP_STRING([--with-mono],
-            [build mono bindings [[default=yes]]]),
-        [with_mono=$withval],[with_mono=yes])
+            [build mono bindings [[default=auto]]]),
+        [with_mono=$withval],[with_mono=auto])
 
     AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether to build mono bindings)
-    if test "X$with_mono" != Xno; then
-        with_mono=yes
-    fi
     AC_MSG_RESULT($with_mono)
 
-    if test "X$with_mono" = Xyes; then
+    if test "X$with_mono" != Xno; then
+        mono_detected="yes"
         SHAMROCK_EXPAND_LIBDIR
         SHAMROCK_CHECK_MONO_MODULE($MONO_MIN_VERSION)
         SHAMROCK_FIND_MONO_2_0_COMPILER
         SHAMROCK_FIND_MONO_RUNTIME
         CHECK_GLIB_GTK_SHARP
-        if test "X$found_gtksharp" != "Xyes"; then
+        if test "X$mono_detected" = "Xno"; then
                 with_mono="no"
         fi
     fi