diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4d04ebdcda..c9e3e6ee81 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -4098,6 +4098,7 @@ DEFAULT_wxUSE_STD_IOSTREAM=$DEFAULT_STD_FLAG
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_STD_STRING=$DEFAULT_STD_FLAG
 
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_DMALLOC=no
+DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBCURL=auto
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBGNOMEVFS=no
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBMSPACK=no
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBSDL=no
@@ -23012,6 +23013,7 @@ fi
 
 
 if test "$wxUSE_WEBREQUEST" = "yes" -a "$wxUSE_LIBCURL" != "no"; then
+            if test "$wxUSE_SYS_LIBS" != "no" -o "$wxUSE_LIBCURL" = "yes"; then
 
 pkg_failed=no
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for LIBCURL" >&5
@@ -23072,15 +23074,15 @@ fi
 	echo "$LIBCURL_PKG_ERRORS" >&5
 
 
-            wxUSE_LIBCURL=no
-            { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: not found" >&5
+                wxUSE_LIBCURL=no
+                { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: not found" >&5
 $as_echo "not found" >&6; }
 
 
 elif test $pkg_failed = untried; then
 
-            wxUSE_LIBCURL=no
-            { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: not found" >&5
+                wxUSE_LIBCURL=no
+                { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: not found" >&5
 $as_echo "not found" >&6; }
 
 
@@ -23090,10 +23092,17 @@ else
         { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
 $as_echo "yes" >&6; }
 
-            CXXFLAGS="$LIBCURL_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
-            LIBS="$LIBCURL_LIBS $LIBS"
+                wxUSE_LIBCURL=yes
+                CXXFLAGS="$LIBCURL_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
+                LIBS="$LIBCURL_LIBS $LIBS"
 
 fi
+    else
+                                if test "$USE_WIN32" != 1 -a "$USE_DARWIN" != 1; then
+            { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: WARNING: Support for libcurl disabled due to --disable-sys-libs, use --with-libcurl explicitly if necessary" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Support for libcurl disabled due to --disable-sys-libs, use --with-libcurl explicitly if necessary" >&2;}
+        fi
+    fi
 fi
 
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 5d0629ddce..14de083fd6 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -333,8 +333,9 @@ DEFAULT_wxUSE_STD_CONTAINERS_COMPATIBLY=$DEFAULT_STD_FLAG
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_STD_IOSTREAM=$DEFAULT_STD_FLAG
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_STD_STRING=$DEFAULT_STD_FLAG
 
-dnl libraries disabled by default
+dnl libraries disabled by default or requiring some special handling
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_DMALLOC=no
+DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBCURL=auto
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBGNOMEVFS=no
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBMSPACK=no
 DEFAULT_wxUSE_LIBSDL=no
@@ -2946,16 +2947,28 @@ dnl Check for libcurl
 dnl ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 if test "$wxUSE_WEBREQUEST" = "yes" -a "$wxUSE_LIBCURL" != "no"; then
-    PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBCURL, [libcurl],
-        [
-            CXXFLAGS="$LIBCURL_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
-            LIBS="$LIBCURL_LIBS $LIBS"
-        ],
-        [
-            wxUSE_LIBCURL=no
-            AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
-        ]
-    )
+    dnl We shouldn't depend on the external libcurl if system libraries are
+    dnl explicitly disabled, unless it is explicitly requested.
+    if test "$wxUSE_SYS_LIBS" != "no" -o "$wxUSE_LIBCURL" = "yes"; then
+        PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBCURL, [libcurl],
+            [
+                wxUSE_LIBCURL=yes
+                CXXFLAGS="$LIBCURL_CFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
+                LIBS="$LIBCURL_LIBS $LIBS"
+            ],
+            [
+                wxUSE_LIBCURL=no
+                AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
+            ]
+        )
+    else
+        dnl Under Win32/macOS we have other backends for wxWebRequest, but
+        dnl under Unix it will be disabled without libcurl, so warn about it as
+        dnl this could be an unexpected consequence of disabling sys libs.
+        if test "$USE_WIN32" != 1 -a "$USE_DARWIN" != 1; then
+            AC_MSG_WARN([Support for libcurl disabled due to --disable-sys-libs, use --with-libcurl explicitly if necessary])
+        fi
+    fi
 fi
 
 dnl ----------------------------------------------------------------