diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 679329958..1ee3e80f8 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ DISTCLEANFILES = check-guile.log
 # `$(PACKAGE)-$(PACKAGE_VERSION)' by default, which is wrong.)
 distdir = $(PACKAGE_TARNAME)-$(PACKAGE_VERSION)
 
+DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = --enable-error-on-warning
+
 dist-hook: gen-ChangeLog
 
 clean-local:
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 300f6a8d0..08dc112e7 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -149,6 +149,10 @@ procedure. Pass the -Warity-mismatch on the `guile-tools compile'
 command line, or add `#:warnings '(arity-mismatch)' to your `compile'
 or `compile-file' invocation.
 
+** Guile is now built without `-Werror' by default
+
+Use the `--enable-error-on-warning' configure option to enable it.
+
 ** And of course, the usual collection of bugfixes
  
 Interested users should see the ChangeLog for more information.
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 66ac35cd0..476a73c75 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HOST_TYPE], ["$host"],
 #
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-GUILE_ERROR_ON_WARNING="yes"
+GUILE_ERROR_ON_WARNING="no"
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(error-on-warning,
   [  --enable-error-on-warning    treat compile warnings as errors],