diff --git a/Lib/test/test_readline.py b/Lib/test/test_readline.py
index e5be02eb802..804887afadc 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_readline.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_readline.py
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ class TestHistoryManipulation (unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual(readline.get_current_history_length(), 1)
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(readline, "append_history"),
+                         "append_history not available")
     def test_write_read_append(self):
         hfile = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False)
         hfile.close()
diff --git a/Modules/readline.c b/Modules/readline.c
index b5a0eba50bc..7e0282c5789 100644
--- a/Modules/readline.c
+++ b/Modules/readline.c
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ Save a readline history file.\n\
 The default filename is ~/.history.");
 
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RL_APPEND_HISTORY
 /* Exported function to save part of a readline history file */
 
 static PyObject *
@@ -270,6 +271,7 @@ PyDoc_STRVAR(doc_append_history_file,
 "append_history_file(nelements[, filename]) -> None\n\
 Append the last nelements of the history list to file.\n\
 The default filename is ~/.history.");
+#endif
 
 
 /* Set history length */
@@ -782,7 +784,9 @@ static struct PyMethodDef readline_methods[] =
      METH_VARARGS, doc_read_history_file},
     {"write_history_file", write_history_file,
      METH_VARARGS, doc_write_history_file},
+#ifdef HAVE_RL_APPEND_HISTORY
     {"append_history_file", append_history_file,
+#endif
      METH_VARARGS, doc_append_history_file},
     {"get_history_item", get_history_item,
      METH_VARARGS, doc_get_history_item},
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4247a78f608..44a74778d10 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -14529,6 +14529,49 @@ rm -f conftest*
 
 fi
 
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for append_history in -lreadline" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for append_history in -lreadline... " >&6; }
+if ${ac_cv_lib_readline_append_history+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
+LIBS="-lreadline $READLINE_LIBS $LIBS"
+cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char append_history ();
+int
+main ()
+{
+return append_history ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  ac_cv_lib_readline_append_history=yes
+else
+  ac_cv_lib_readline_append_history=no
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_readline_append_history" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_readline_append_history" >&6; }
+if test "x$ac_cv_lib_readline_append_history" = xyes; then :
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_RL_APPEND_HISTORY 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+fi
+
+
 # End of readline checks: restore LIBS
 LIBS=$LIBS_no_readline
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 05dc0e69c52..c12622bbb99 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4308,6 +4308,10 @@ then
   [Define if you can turn off readline's signal handling.]), )
 fi
 
+AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, append_history,
+	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_RL_APPEND_HISTORY, 1,
+        [Define if readline supports append_history]), ,$READLINE_LIBS)
+
 # End of readline checks: restore LIBS
 LIBS=$LIBS_no_readline
 
diff --git a/pyconfig.h.in b/pyconfig.h.in
index e469f6abe91..9ebea5db29e 100644
--- a/pyconfig.h.in
+++ b/pyconfig.h.in
@@ -690,6 +690,9 @@
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `renameat' function. */
 #undef HAVE_RENAMEAT
 
+/* Define if readline supports append_history */
+#undef HAVE_RL_APPEND_HISTORY
+
 /* Define if you have readline 2.1 */
 #undef HAVE_RL_CALLBACK