Nick Bowler and Paul Eggert wrote: > > AS_VAR_SET_IF([my_cv_no_printing], [my_cv_no_printing=hello]) > > AS_VAR_SET_IF([my_cv_no_printing], [], [my_cv_no_printing=hello]) But then I lose - the various AC_DIAGNOSE checks that are in AC_CACHE_VAL, - possible future improvements / changes to the caching mechanism. (I find it a dangerous bet to assume that the caching will only be based on a shell variable lookup and not something else.) I would prefer to define gl_CACHE_VAL_SILENT as an invocation of AC_CACHE_VAL that merely neutralizes the _AS_ECHO_N call. Such as (untested): AC_DEFUN([gl_CACHE_VAL_SILENT], [ m4_pushdef([_AS_ECHO_N], []) AC_CACHE_VAL([$1], [$2]) m4_popdef([_AS_ECHO_N]) ]) Bruno