diff --git a/project/config/cfgdefs.sh b/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
index 8e304fd..eb58356 100644
--- a/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
+++ b/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
@@ -187,11 +187,6 @@ cfgdefs_perform_target_tests()
 	mb_cfgtest_makevar='LDFLAGS_NCURSES_STATIC'
 	cfgtest_makevar_append '$(LDFLAGS_NCURSES)'
 
-	# ndbm
-	cfgtest_newline
-	cfgtest_comment 'ndbm'
-	cfgtest_header_presence 'ndbm.h'
-
 	# openssl
 	cfgtest_newline
 	cfgtest_comment 'openssl/libressl'
@@ -244,6 +239,19 @@ cfgdefs_perform_target_tests()
 	mb_cfgtest_makevar='LDFLAGS_EXPAT_STATIC'
 	cfgtest_makevar_append '$(LDFLAGS_EXPAT)'
 
+	# ndbm
+	cfgtest_newline
+	cfgtest_comment 'ndbm'
+
+	mb_cfgtest_makevar='CFLAGS_DBM'
+	cfgtest_unit_header_presence 'ndbm.h'
+
+	mb_cfgtest_makevar='LDFLAGS_DBM'
+	cfgtest_makevar_append '-lgdbm_compat'
+
+	mb_cfgtest_makevar='LDFLAGS_DBM_STATIC'
+	cfgtest_makevar_append '$(LDFLAGS_DBM)'
+
 	# pretty cfgdefs.mk
 	cfgtest_newline
 }
diff --git a/project/depends.mk b/project/depends.mk
index 3101632..855395d 100644
--- a/project/depends.mk
+++ b/project/depends.mk
@@ -1,8 +1,2 @@
-# shared extensions: dependency switches
-CFLAGS_DBM      = -DHAVE_NDBM_H
-LDFLAGS_DBM     = -lgdbm_compat
-
-
 # static extensions: dependency switch
 LDFLAGS_PYEXT_STATIC	= -lssl -lcrypto -lreadline -lbz2 -lgdbm -lffi -lintl -lz
-LDFLAGS_DBM_STATIC	= $(LDFLAGS_DBM)