diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 35ca5d2f08..b6e7547040 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+3923.	[bug]		Sanity check the xml2-config output. [RT #22246]
+
 3922.	[bug]		When resigning, dnssec-signzone was removing
 			all signatures from delegation nodes. It now
 			retains	DS and (if applicable) NSEC signatures.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 0abefed7e5..926962c506 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -16458,10 +16458,30 @@ esac
 
 if test "X$libxml2_libs" != "X"
 then
-	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
-$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
 	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $libxml2_cflags"
 	LIBS="$LIBS $libxml2_libs"
+	#
+	# Sanity check xml2-config output.
+	#
+	cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#include <libxml/xmlwriter.h>
+int
+main ()
+{
+return(xmlTextWriterStartElement(NULL, NULL));
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+else
+  as_fn_error $? "xml2-config returns badness" "$LINENO" 5
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
+    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
 
 $as_echo "#define HAVE_LIBXML2 1" >>confdefs.h
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 539d11e4e7..6c2580a89b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -2085,9 +2085,15 @@ esac
 
 if test "X$libxml2_libs" != "X"
 then
-	AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
 	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $libxml2_cflags"
 	LIBS="$LIBS $libxml2_libs"
+	#
+	# Sanity check xml2-config output.
+	#
+	AC_TRY_LINK([#include <libxml/xmlwriter.h>],
+		    [return(xmlTextWriterStartElement(NULL, NULL));],
+		    AC_MSG_RESULT(yes),
+		    AC_MSG_ERROR(xml2-config returns badness))
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBXML2, 1, [Define if libxml2 was found])
 else
 	AC_MSG_RESULT(no)