diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ec9442bd3..a1e8a1c42 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -504,19 +504,23 @@ XORG_FONTSUBDIR(FONT75DPIDIR, font75dpidir, 75dpi)
 XORG_FONTSUBDIR(FONT100DPIDIR, font100dpidir, 100dpi)
 
 dnl Uses --default-font-path if set, otherwise checks for /etc/X11/fontpath.d,
-dnl otherwise uses standard subdirectories of FONTROOTDIR
-AC_CHECK_FILE([${sysconfdir}/X11/fontpath.d],
-	[DEFAULT_FONT_PATH='catalogue:${sysconfdir}/X11/fontpath.d'],
-	[
-		DEFAULT_FONT_PATH="${FONTMISCDIR}/,${FONTTTFDIR}/,${FONTOTFDIR}/,${FONTTYPE1DIR}/,${FONT100DPIDIR}/,${FONT75DPIDIR}/"
-		case $host_os in
-			darwin*)    DEFAULT_FONT_PATH="${DEFAULT_FONT_PATH},/Library/Fonts,/System/Library/Fonts" ;;
-		esac
-	])
+dnl otherwise uses standard subdirectories of FONTROOTDIR. When cross
+dnl compiling, assume default font path uses standard FONTROOTDIR directories.
+DEFAULT_FONT_PATH="${FONTMISCDIR}/,${FONTTTFDIR}/,${FONTOTFDIR}/,${FONTTYPE1DIR}/,${FONT100DPIDIR}/,${FONT75DPIDIR}/"
+if test "$cross_compiling" != yes; then
+	AC_CHECK_FILE([${sysconfdir}/X11/fontpath.d],
+		[DEFAULT_FONT_PATH='catalogue:${sysconfdir}/X11/fontpath.d'],
+		[case $host_os in
+			darwin*) DEFAULT_FONT_PATH="${DEFAULT_FONT_PATH},/Library/Fonts,/System/Library/Fonts" ;;
+		esac])
+fi
 AC_ARG_WITH(default-font-path, AS_HELP_STRING([--with-default-font-path=PATH], [Comma separated list of font dirs]),
 				[ FONTPATH="$withval" ],
 				[ FONTPATH="${DEFAULT_FONT_PATH}" ])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for default font path])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$FONTPATH])
+
 AC_ARG_WITH(xkb-path,         AS_HELP_STRING([--with-xkb-path=PATH], [Path to XKB base dir (default: ${datadir}/X11/xkb)]),
 				[ XKBPATH="$withval" ],
 				[ XKBPATH="${datadir}/X11/xkb" ])