diff --git a/m4/papi.m4 b/m4/papi.m4
--- a/m4/papi.m4
+++ b/m4/papi.m4
@@ -24,12 +24,13 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_CHECK_PAPI],
 		else
 			PKG_CHECK_MODULES(
 				[papi],
-				[papi],
+				[papi >= 5.6.0],
 				[
 					AC_MSG_CHECKING([the PAPI installation prefix])
 					AC_MSG_RESULT([retrieved from pkg-config])
 					papi_CPPFLAGS="${papi_CFLAGS}"
 					ac_use_papi=yes
+					ac_papi_version_correct=yes
 				], [
 					AC_MSG_CHECKING([the PAPI installation prefix])
 					AC_MSG_RESULT([not available])
@@ -67,27 +68,29 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_CHECK_PAPI],
 		fi
 
 		if test x"${ac_use_papi}" = x"yes" ; then
-			if test x"${ac_cv_use_papi_prefix}" != x"" ; then
-				papiBinary=${ac_cv_use_papi_prefix}/bin/papi_version
-			else
-				papiBinary=papi_version
-			fi
-			papiVersion=`$papiBinary | sed 's/[[^0-9.]]*\([[0-9.]]*\).*/\1/'`
+			if test x"${ac_papi_version_correct}" != x"yes" ; then
+				if test x"${ac_cv_use_papi_prefix}" != x"" ; then
+					papiBinary=${ac_cv_use_papi_prefix}/bin/papi_version
+				else
+					papiBinary=papi_version
+				fi
+				papiVersion=`$papiBinary | sed 's/[[^0-9.]]*\([[0-9.]]*\).*/\1/'`
 
-			AX_COMPARE_VERSION(
-				[[${papiVersion}]],
-				[[ge]],
-				[[5.6.0]],
-				[[ac_papi_version_correct=yes]],
-				[[ac_papi_version_correct=no]]
-			)
+				AX_COMPARE_VERSION(
+					[[${papiVersion}]],
+					[[ge]],
+					[[5.6.0]],
+					[[ac_papi_version_correct=yes]],
+					[[ac_papi_version_correct=no]]
+				)
 
-			if test x"${ac_papi_version_correct}" != x"yes" ; then
-				AC_MSG_ERROR([PAPI version must be >= 5.6.0.])
-				ac_use_papi=no
-			else
-				AC_MSG_CHECKING([if the PAPI version >= 5.6.0.])
-				AC_MSG_RESULT([${ac_papi_version_correct}])
+				if test x"${ac_papi_version_correct}" != x"yes" ; then
+					AC_MSG_ERROR([PAPI version must be >= 5.6.0.])
+					ac_use_papi=no
+				else
+					AC_MSG_CHECKING([if the PAPI version >= 5.6.0.])
+					AC_MSG_RESULT([${ac_papi_version_correct}])
+				fi
 			fi
 		fi