diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 3cf7327d185..26ccd3f4155 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -2494,12 +2494,14 @@ thread_dirs=
 
 dnl This probably should be cleaned up more - for now the threaded
 dnl client is just using plain-old libs.
-sql_client_dirs="strings regex mysys libmysql client"
+sql_client_dirs=
 linked_client_targets="linked_libmysql_sources"
 
-if test "$THREAD_SAFE_CLIENT" != "no"
+if test "$THREAD_SAFE_CLIENT" = "no"
 then
-  sql_client_dirs="libmysql_r $sql_client_dirs"
+  sql_client_dirs="strings regex mysys extra libmysql client"
+else
+  sql_client_dirs="strings regex mysys extra libmysql libmysql_r client"
   linked_client_targets="$linked_client_targets linked_libmysql_r_sources"
   AC_CONFIG_FILES(libmysql_r/Makefile)
   AC_DEFINE([THREAD_SAFE_CLIENT], [1], [Should be client be thread safe])
@@ -2532,13 +2534,13 @@ if test "$with_server" != "no" -o "$THREAD_SAFE_CLIENT" != "no"
 then
   AC_DEFINE([THREAD], [1],
             [Define if you want to have threaded code. This may be undef on client code])
+  # Avoid _PROGRAMS names
+  THREAD_LOBJECTS="thr_alarm.o thr_lock.o thr_mutex.o thr_rwlock.o my_pthread.o my_thr_init.o mf_keycache.o"
+  AC_SUBST(THREAD_LOBJECTS)
 fi
 
 if test "$with_server" != "no"
 then
-  # Avoid _PROGRAMS names
-  THREAD_LOBJECTS="thr_alarm.o thr_lock.o thr_mutex.o thr_rwlock.o my_pthread.o my_thr_init.o mf_keycache.o"
-  AC_SUBST(THREAD_LOBJECTS)
   server_scripts="mysqld_safe mysql_install_db"
   sql_server_dirs="strings mysys dbug extra regex"