diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index eb7e69e90f..6074a4f53b 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 DD mmm YYYY - 2.9.x (to be released)
 -------------------
 
+ * Only check for pcre2 install if required
+   [Issue #2833 - @martinhsv]
  * Adjustment of previous fix for log messages
    [Issue #2832 - @marcstern, @erkia]
  * Mark apache error log messages as from mod_security2
diff --git a/build/find_pcre2.m4 b/build/find_pcre2.m4
index 36196bdaeb..11e9890f98 100644
--- a/build/find_pcre2.m4
+++ b/build/find_pcre2.m4
@@ -18,70 +18,76 @@ AC_DEFUN([CHECK_PCRE2],
 AC_ARG_WITH(
     pcre2,
     [AC_HELP_STRING([--with-pcre2=PATH],[Path to pcre2 prefix or config script])],
-    , with_pcre2=yes)
+    , with_pcre2=no)
 
 AS_CASE(["${with_pcre2}"],
   [no], [test_paths=],
   [yes], [test_paths="/usr/local/libpcre2 /usr/local/pcre2 /usr/local /opt/libpcre2 /opt/pcre2 /opt /usr"],
   [test_paths="${with_pcre2}"])
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for libpcre2 config script])
+if test "x${with_pcre2}" == "x" || test "x${with_pcre2}" == "xno"; then
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE([pcre2 not specified; omitting check])
+else
 
-for x in ${test_paths}; do
-    dnl # Determine if the script was specified and use it directly
-    if test ! -d "$x" -a -e "$x"; then
-        PCRE2_CONFIG=$x
-        pcre2_path="no"
-        break
-    fi
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([for libpcre2 config script])
 
-    dnl # Try known config script names/locations
-    for PCRE2_CONFIG in pcre2-config; do
-        if test -e "${x}/bin/${PCRE2_CONFIG}"; then
-            pcre2_path="${x}/bin"
+    for x in ${test_paths}; do
+        dnl # Determine if the script was specified and use it directly
+        if test ! -d "$x" -a -e "$x"; then
+            PCRE2_CONFIG=$x
+            pcre2_path="no"
             break
-        elif test -e "${x}/${PCRE2_CONFIG}"; then
-            pcre2_path="${x}"
+        fi
+
+        dnl # Try known config script names/locations
+        for PCRE2_CONFIG in pcre2-config; do
+            if test -e "${x}/bin/${PCRE2_CONFIG}"; then
+                pcre2_path="${x}/bin"
+                break
+            elif test -e "${x}/${PCRE2_CONFIG}"; then
+                pcre2_path="${x}"
+                break
+            else
+                pcre2_path=""
+            fi
+        done
+        if test -n "$pcre2_path"; then
             break
-        else
-            pcre2_path=""
         fi
     done
-    if test -n "$pcre2_path"; then
-        break
-    fi
-done
 
-if test -n "${pcre2_path}"; then
-    if test "${pcre2_path}" != "no"; then
-        PCRE2_CONFIG="${pcre2_path}/${PCRE2_CONFIG}"
+    if test -n "${pcre2_path}"; then
+        if test "${pcre2_path}" != "no"; then
+            PCRE2_CONFIG="${pcre2_path}/${PCRE2_CONFIG}"
+        fi
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([${PCRE2_CONFIG}])
+        PCRE2_VERSION="`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --version`"
+        if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 VERSION: $PCRE2_VERSION); fi
+        PCRE2_CFLAGS="`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --cflags`"
+        if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 CFLAGS: $PCRE2_CFLAGS); fi
+        PCRE2_LDADD="`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --libs8`"
+        if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 LDADD: $PCRE2_LDADD); fi
+        PCRE_LD_PATH="/`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --libs8 | cut -d'/' -f2,3,4,5,6 | cut -d ' ' -f1`"
+        if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 PCRE_LD_PATH: $PCRE_LD_PATH); fi
+    else
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
     fi
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([${PCRE2_CONFIG}])
-    PCRE2_VERSION="`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --version`"
-    if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 VERSION: $PCRE2_VERSION); fi
-    PCRE2_CFLAGS="`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --cflags`"
-    if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 CFLAGS: $PCRE2_CFLAGS); fi
-    PCRE2_LDADD="`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --libs8`"
-    if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 LDADD: $PCRE2_LDADD); fi
-    PCRE_LD_PATH="/`${PCRE2_CONFIG} --libs8 | cut -d'/' -f2,3,4,5,6 | cut -d ' ' -f1`"
-    if test "$verbose_output" -eq 1; then AC_MSG_NOTICE(pcre2 PCRE_LD_PATH: $PCRE_LD_PATH); fi
-else
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-fi
 
-AC_SUBST(PCRE2_CONFIG)
-AC_SUBST(PCRE2_VERSION)
-AC_SUBST(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS)
-AC_SUBST(PCRE2_CFLAGS)
-AC_SUBST(PCRE2_LDFLAGS)
-AC_SUBST(PCRE2_LDADD)
-AC_SUBST(PCRE_LD_PATH)
+    AC_SUBST(PCRE2_CONFIG)
+    AC_SUBST(PCRE2_VERSION)
+    AC_SUBST(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS)
+    AC_SUBST(PCRE2_CFLAGS)
+    AC_SUBST(PCRE2_LDFLAGS)
+    AC_SUBST(PCRE2_LDADD)
+    AC_SUBST(PCRE_LD_PATH)
 
-if test -z "${PCRE2_VERSION}"; then
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([*** pcre2 library not found.])
-else
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([using pcre2 v${PCRE2_VERSION}])
-    PCRE2_CFLAGS="-DWITH_PCRE2 ${PCRE2_CFLAGS}"
-    ifelse([$1], , , $1) 
-fi 
+    if test -z "${PCRE2_VERSION}"; then
+        AC_MSG_NOTICE([*** pcre2 library not found.])
+        ifelse([$2], , AC_MSG_ERROR([pcre2 library is required]), $2)
+    else
+        AC_MSG_NOTICE([using pcre2 v${PCRE2_VERSION}])
+        PCRE2_CFLAGS="-DWITH_PCRE2 ${PCRE2_CFLAGS}"
+        ifelse([$1], , , $1) 
+    fi 
+fi
 ])