diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e6b30edb521c93dc92d1543f9007af6a51a09aef..0647c62fbab61ffb54769e4e7671c13f9dd4122c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -3721,12 +3721,12 @@ then
 
   VLC_ADD_LIBS([macosx], [-Wl,-framework,QTKit -Wl,-framework,IOKit -Wl,-framework,AddressBook -Wl,-framework,WebKit])
 
-  VLC_SAVE_FLAGS
-  CFLAGS="-I${CONTRIB_DIR}/Sparkle.framework/Headers ${CFLAGS}"
-  AC_CHECK_HEADERS(Sparkle.h, [
-    VLC_ADD_LIBS([macosx], [-F${CONTRIB_DIR} -Wl,-framework,Sparkle])
-    VLC_ADD_OBJCFLAGS([macosx], [-F${CONTRIB_DIR}])
-  ], VLC_RESTORE_FLAGS)
+  if ! test -d ${CONTRIB_DIR}/Sparkle.framework
+  then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([Sparkle framework is required and was not found in ${CONTRIB_DIR}])
+  fi
+  VLC_ADD_LIBS([macosx], [-F${CONTRIB_DIR} -Wl,-framework,Sparkle])
+  VLC_ADD_OBJCFLAGS([macosx], [-F${CONTRIB_DIR}])
 
   if ! test -d ${CONTRIB_DIR}/BGHUDAppKit.framework
   then
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/intf.m b/modules/gui/macosx/intf.m
index 0120457760a813ba7f60b96bcb40bb117ab55271..03a6e1e7c1b512f4a4d1b2e36a21be0c61ecc174 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/intf.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/intf.m
@@ -62,9 +62,7 @@
 #import "TrackSynchronization.h"
 
 #import <AddressBook/AddressBook.h>         /* for crashlog send mechanism */
-#ifdef HAVE_SPARKLE_H
-# import <Sparkle/Sparkle.h>                 /* we're the update delegate */
-#endif
+#import <Sparkle/Sparkle.h>                 /* we're the update delegate */
 
 /*****************************************************************************
  * Local prototypes.
@@ -762,7 +760,6 @@ static VLCMain *_o_sharedMainInstance = nil;
     [self setIntf:nil];
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_SPARKLE_H
 #pragma mark -
 #pragma mark Sparkle delegate
 /* received directly before the update gets installed, so let's shut down a bit */
@@ -772,7 +769,6 @@ static VLCMain *_o_sharedMainInstance = nil;
     [o_remote stopListening: self];
     var_SetInteger( p_intf->p_libvlc, "key-action", ACTIONID_STOP );
 }
-#endif
 
 #pragma mark -
 #pragma mark Media Key support
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/simple_prefs.m b/modules/gui/macosx/simple_prefs.m
index a353e31798f90faa3a1efc03fe57e9bca7dbc8d5..7060ebdc4bca259500a29118791fd9f21ea83a56 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/simple_prefs.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/simple_prefs.m
@@ -35,9 +35,7 @@
 #import "intf.h"
 #import "AppleRemote.h"
 
-#ifdef HAVE_SPARKLE_H
-# import <Sparkle/Sparkle.h>                        //for o_intf_last_update_lbl
-#endif
+#import <Sparkle/Sparkle.h>                        //for o_intf_last_update_lbl
 
 static NSString* VLCSPrefsToolbarIdentifier = @"Our Simple Preferences Toolbar Identifier";
 static NSString* VLCIntfSettingToolbarIdentifier = @"Intf Settings Item Identifier";
@@ -459,11 +457,9 @@ static inline char * __config_GetLabel( vlc_object_t *p_this, const char *psz_na
     [self setupButton: o_intf_embedded_ckb forBoolValue: "embedded-video"];
 	[self setupButton: o_intf_appleremote_ckb forBoolValue: "macosx-appleremote"];
 	[self setupButton: o_intf_mediakeys_ckb forBoolValue: "macosx-mediakeys"];
-#ifdef HAVE_SPARKLE_H
     if( [[SUUpdater sharedUpdater] lastUpdateCheckDate] != NULL )
         [o_intf_last_update_lbl setStringValue: [NSString stringWithFormat: _NS("Last check on: %@"), [[[SUUpdater sharedUpdater] lastUpdateCheckDate] descriptionWithLocale: [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] dictionaryRepresentation]]]];
     else
-#endif
         [o_intf_last_update_lbl setStringValue: _NS("No check was performed yet.")];
     psz_tmp = config_GetPsz( p_intf, "control" );
     if (psz_tmp) {