diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ff493e1d..dcf357e4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -878,11 +878,26 @@ AC_SUBST([DUMP_SYMS])
 AC_SUBST([CC_MM])
 
 dnl Determine whether libm must be linked to use e.g. log(3).
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS([log], [m], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Missing math functions])])
-if test "x$ac_cv_search_log" != "xnone required" ; then
-  LM="$ac_cv_search_log"
-else
+
+# On MSVC, log is an intrinsic that doesn't require libm. However,
+# AC_SEARCH_LIBS does not successfully detect this, as it will try to compile
+# a program using the wrong signature for log. Newer versions of MSVC CL detects
+# this and rejects the program with the following messages.
+#
+# conftest.c(40): warning C4391: 'char log()': incorrect return type for intrinsic function, expected 'double'
+# conftest.c(44): error C2168: 'log': too few actual parameters for intrinsic function
+#
+# Since log is always available on MSVC (it's been around since the dawn of
+# time), we simply always assume it's there if MSVC is detected.
+if test "x$je_cv_msvc" = "xyes" ; then
   LM=
+else
+  AC_SEARCH_LIBS([log], [m], , [AC_MSG_ERROR([Missing math functions])])
+    if test "x$ac_cv_search_log" != "xnone required" ; then
+      LM="$ac_cv_search_log"
+    else
+      LM=
+    fi
 fi
 AC_SUBST(LM)