diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 06c7619010..e594eea0bf 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ fi])
 AC_DEFUN(RUBY_TRY_CFLAGS, [
     save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
     CFLAGS="[$]CFLAGS $1"
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether ]$1[ is accepted])
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether ]$1[ is accepted as CFLAGS])
     RUBY_WERROR_FLAG([
     AC_TRY_COMPILE([$4], [$5],
 	[$2
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ AC_DEFUN(RUBY_TRY_CFLAGS, [
 AC_DEFUN(RUBY_TRY_LDFLAGS, [
     save_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
     LDFLAGS="[$]LDFLAGS $1"
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether $1 is accepted])
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether $1 is accepted as LDFLAGS])
     RUBY_WERROR_FLAG([
     AC_TRY_LINK([$4], [$5],
 	[$2