diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 99d38edf48..bbe2622d8c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -636,6 +636,11 @@ if test "x$usable_regex" != "xno" ; then
         AC_DEFINE(USE_REGEX, 1, [Define to 1 if C++11 regex is usable])
 fi
 
+# Check for NETCONF support. If NETCONF was enabled in the build, and this check
+# passes, it will enforce the --std=c++20 flag. Let's do the check as early as
+# possible so that the rest of the checks include the flag as well.
+AX_NETCONF
+
 # Run the gtest detection routines. This supports --with-gtest and --with-gtest-source
 # parameters. If specified, those will set the HAVE_GTEST, HAVE_GTEST_SOURCE,
 # DISTCHECK_GTEST_CONFIGURE_FLAG, GTEST_INCLUDES, GTEST_LDFLAGS, GTEST_LDADD, GTEST_SOURCE
@@ -832,9 +837,6 @@ if test "${cql_config}" != "no" ; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([$CQL_CONFIG Cassandra is no longer supported])
 fi
 
-# Check for sysrepo.
-AX_SYSREPO
-
 # Check for log4cplus
 DISTCHECK_LOG4CPLUS_CONFIGURE_FLAG=
 log4cplus_path="yes"
diff --git a/m4macros/ax_netconf.m4 b/m4macros/ax_netconf.m4
index 7708cd03fa..89db52efac 100644
--- a/m4macros/ax_netconf.m4
+++ b/m4macros/ax_netconf.m4
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-AC_DEFUN([AX_SYSREPO], [
+AC_DEFUN([AX_NETCONF], [
 
   AC_ARG_WITH([libyang],
     [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-libyang[[=PATH]]], [optional path to the libyang installation directory])],