diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 54e58e84db..54a2cc2356 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2460,26 +2460,36 @@ fi
     fi
 
     AC_CHECK_FILES([$srcdir/rust/gen], [have_rust_headers="yes"])
-    AC_DEFINE([HAVE_RUST_HEADERS],[1],[Enable Rust language])
-    AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_RUST_HEADERS], [test "x$have_rust_headers" = "xyes"])
+    AC_PATH_PROG(CBINDGEN, cbindgen, "no")
+    if test "x$CBINDGEN" != "xno"; then
+      cbindgen_version=$(cbindgen --version | cut -d' ' -f2-)
+      min_cbindgen_version="0.10.0"
+      AS_VERSION_COMPARE([$cbindgen_version], [$min_cbindgen_version],
+          [cbindgen_ok="no"],
+          [cbindgen_ok="yes"],
+          [cbindgen_ok="yes"])
+      if test "x$cbindgen_ok" != "xyes"; then
+        echo "  Warning: cbindgen must be at least version $min_cbindgen_version,"
+        echo "      found $cbindgen_version."
+        echo "  To update: cargo install --force cbindgen"
+        CBINDGEN="no"
+      else
+        have_rust_headers="no"
+      fi
+    fi
+
+    # Require cbindgen if generated headers are not bundled.
     if test "x$have_rust_headers" != "xyes"; then
-      AC_PATH_PROG(HAVE_CARGO_CBINDGEN, cbindgen, "no") 
-      if test "x$HAVE_CARGO_CBINDGEN" = "xno"; then
-        echo "  Warning: cbindgen not found, it is required to generate header files"
+      if test "x$CBINDGEN" = "xno"; then
+        echo "  Warning: cbindgen too old or not found, it is required to "
+        echo "      generate header files."
         echo "  To install: cargo install --force cbindgen"
         AC_MSG_ERROR([cbindgen required])
       fi
-      required_version=0.9.0
-      cbindgen_version=$(cbindgen --version | cut -d' ' -f2-)
-      lowest_version=$(printf '%s\n' $required_version $cbindgen_version | sort -t. -k 1,1n -k 2,2n -k 3,3n -k 4,4n | head -n1)
-      if test "x$lowest_version" != "x$required_version"; then
-        HAVE_CARGO_BINDGEN="no"
-        echo "  Warning: cbindgen must be at least version $required_version, version was $cbindgen_version, lowest version was $lowest_version"
-        echo "  To install: cargo install --force cbindgen"
-        AC_MSG_ERROR([incorrect cbindgen version])
-      fi
     fi
 
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_RUST_HEADERS], [test "x$have_rust_headers" = "xyes"])
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_CBINDGEN], [test "x$CBINDGEN" != "xno"])
     AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_CARGO_VENDOR], [test "x$have_cargo_vendor" != "xno"])
 
     AC_ARG_ENABLE(rust_strict,
diff --git a/rust/Makefile.am b/rust/Makefile.am
index 534a5c8cb7..f9fff8ffab 100644
--- a/rust/Makefile.am
+++ b/rust/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 EXTRA_DIST =	src \
 		.cargo/config.in \
-                gen \
-                cbindgen.toml
+		cbindgen.toml \
+		gen/rust-bindings.h
 
 if HAVE_CARGO_VENDOR
 EXTRA_DIST +=	vendor
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ if RUST_CROSS_COMPILE
 RUST_TARGET = --target $(host_triplet)
 endif
 
-build-rust:
-	cd $(top_srcdir)/rust
-
+all-local:
+if HAVE_CBINDGEN
+	cbindgen --config $(abs_top_srcdir)/rust/cbindgen.toml \
+		--quiet --output $(abs_top_builddir)/rust/gen/rust-bindings.h
+endif
 if HAVE_CYGPATH
 	@rustup_home@ \
 		CARGO_HOME="$(CARGO_HOME)" \
@@ -40,30 +42,12 @@ else
 			--features "$(RUST_FEATURES)" $(RUST_TARGET)
 endif
 
-if HAVE_RUST_HEADERS
-
-all-local: build-rust
-	echo Rust headers available
-
-clean-local:
-	-rm -rf target
-
-distclean-local: clean-local
-	rm -rf vendor Cargo.lock
-
-else 
-
-all-local: gen-headers build-rust
-	$(info Generating rust headers)
-
 clean-local:
 	-rm -rf target gen
 
 distclean-local: clean-local
 	rm -rf vendor gen Cargo.lock
 
-endif
-
 check:
 	CARGO_HOME="$(CARGO_HOME)" @rustup_home@ \
 		CARGO_TARGET_DIR="$(abs_top_builddir)/rust/target" \
@@ -76,6 +60,11 @@ else
 vendor:
 endif
 
-gen-headers: FORCE
-	cbindgen --config cbindgen.toml --output "gen/rust-bindings.h" > /dev/null
-FORCE:
+# Can only include the headers if we have Python to generate them.
+if HAVE_CBINDGEN
+gen/rust-bindings.h:
+	cbindgen --config $(abs_top_srcdir)/rust/cbindgen.toml \
+		--quiet --output $(abs_top_builddir)/rust/gen/rust-bindings.h
+else
+gen/rust-bindings.h:
+endif