diff --git a/configure b/configure
index cdd5f984..6615e5cc 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ MES_ARENA=100000000 exec ${SCHEME-guile} -L . --no-auto-compile -e '(configure)'
          (output (read-string port))
          (status (close-pipe port))
          (error (with-input-from-file ".error" read-string)))
+    (when (file-exists? ".error")
+      (delete-file ".error"))
     (set-current-error-port err)
     (verbose "command[~a]: ~s => ~a [~a]\n" status command output error)
     (if (not (zero? status)) ""
@@ -223,6 +225,8 @@ MES_ARENA=100000000 exec ${SCHEME-guile} -L . --no-auto-compile -e '(configure)'
   (let ((name (dependency-name dependency)))
     (stderr "checking for ~a..." name)
     (let ((result (check cc name)))
+      (when (file-exists? ".config.c")
+        (delete-file ".config.c"))
       (stderr " ~a\n" (if result "yes" "no"))
       (if result (set-field dependency (dependency-file-name) name)
           dependency))))
@@ -231,6 +235,8 @@ MES_ARENA=100000000 exec ${SCHEME-guile} -L . --no-auto-compile -e '(configure)'
   (let ((name (dependency-name dependency)))
     (stderr "checking for ~a..." name)
     (let ((result (check cc (dependency-data dependency))))
+      (when (file-exists? ".config.c")
+        (delete-file ".config.c"))
       (stderr " ~a\n" (if result "yes" "no"))
       (if result (set-field dependency (dependency-file-name) name)
           dependency))))
@@ -239,6 +245,8 @@ MES_ARENA=100000000 exec ${SCHEME-guile} -L . --no-auto-compile -e '(configure)'
   (let ((name (dependency-name dependency)))
     (stderr "checking for ~a..." name)
     (let ((result (check cc (dependency-data dependency))))
+      (when (file-exists? ".config.c")
+        (delete-file ".config.c"))
       (stderr " ~a\n" (if result "yes" "no"))
       (if result (set-field dependency (dependency-file-name) name)
           dependency))))