--- a/build/moz.configure/checks.configure
+++ b/build/moz.configure/checks.configure
@@ -25,17 +25,22 @@
 def checking(what):
     def decorator(func):
         @advanced
         def wrapped(*args, **kwargs):
             import sys
             print('checking', what, end='... ')
             sys.stdout.flush()
             ret = func(*args, **kwargs)
-            print(ret)
+            if ret is True:
+                print('yes')
+            elif ret is False:
+                print('no')
+            else:
+                print(ret)
             sys.stdout.flush()
             return ret
         return wrapped
     return decorator
 
 
 # Template to check for programs in $PATH.
 #   check('PROG', ('a', 'b'))

--- a/build/moz.configure/init.configure
+++ b/build/moz.configure/init.configure
@@ -250,16 +250,17 @@ def wanted_mozconfig_variables(help):
          'AUTOCONF',
          'AWK',
          'DISABLE_EXPORT_JS',
          'DISABLE_SHARED_JS',
          'EXTERNAL_SOURCE_DIR',
          'MOZILLABUILD',
          'MOZ_ARTIFACT_BUILDS',
          'MOZ_BUILD_APP',
+         'PERL',
      ])
 
 
 @depends(mozconfig, wanted_mozconfig_variables)
 def mozconfig_options(mozconfig, wanted_mozconfig_variables):
     if mozconfig['path']:
         helper = command_line_helper()
         warn('Adding configure options from %s' % mozconfig['path'])

--- a/js/src/old-configure.in
+++ b/js/src/old-configure.in
@@ -49,17 +49,16 @@ dnl ====================================
 
 dnl Set the version number of the libs included with mozilla
 dnl ========================================================
 NSPR_VERSION=4
 NSPR_MINVER=4.9.2
 
 dnl Set the minimum version of toolkit libs used by mozilla
 dnl ========================================================
-PERL_VERSION=5.006
 WINDRES_VERSION=2.14.90
 W32API_VERSION=3.14
 
 MSMANIFEST_TOOL=
 
 dnl Set various checks
 dnl ========================================================
 MISSING_X=
@@ -74,22 +73,16 @@ dnl Do not allow objdir == srcdir builds
 dnl ==============================================================
 _topsrcdir=`cd $srcdir; pwd -W 2>/dev/null || pwd -P`
 _objdir=`pwd -P`
 
 MOZ_BUILD_ROOT=`pwd -W 2>/dev/null || pwd -P`
 
 MOZ_DEFAULT_COMPILER
 
-dnl Check for Perl first -- needed for win32 SDK checks
-MOZ_PATH_PROGS(PERL, $PERL perl5 perl )
-if test -z "$PERL" -o "$PERL" = ":"; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([perl not found in \$PATH])
-fi
-
 if test "$JS_STANDALONE" = no; then
   autoconfmk=autoconf-js.mk
   JS_STANDALONE=
   #DIST is exported from top-level configure
 else
   JS_STANDALONE=1
   AC_DEFINE(JS_STANDALONE)
   DIST="$MOZ_BUILD_ROOT/dist"
@@ -467,35 +460,16 @@ AC_PROG_LN_S
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for tar archiver])
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(TAR, gnutar gtar tar, "")
 if test -z "$TAR"; then
     AC_MSG_WARN([no tar archiver found in \$PATH])
 fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$TAR])
 AC_SUBST(TAR)
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for minimum required perl version >= $PERL_VERSION])
-_perl_version=`PERL_VERSION=$PERL_VERSION $PERL -e 'print "$]"; if ($] >= $ENV{PERL_VERSION}) { exit(0); } else { exit(1); }' 2>&5`
-_perl_res=$?
-AC_MSG_RESULT([$_perl_version])
-
-if test "$_perl_res" != 0; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([Perl $PERL_VERSION or higher is required.])
-fi
-
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for full perl installation])
-_perl_archlib=`$PERL -e 'use Config; if ( -d $Config{archlib} ) { exit(0); } else { exit(1); }' 2>&5`
-_perl_res=$?
-if test "$_perl_res" != 0; then
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find Config.pm or \$Config{archlib}.  A full perl installation is required.])
-else
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-fi
-
 if test -z "$COMPILE_ENVIRONMENT"; then
     NSINSTALL_BIN='$(PYTHON) $(topsrcdir)/config/nsinstall.py'
 fi
 AC_SUBST(NSINSTALL_BIN)
 
 MOZ_PATH_PROG(DOXYGEN, doxygen, :)
 MOZ_PATH_PROG(XARGS, xargs)
 if test -z "$XARGS" -o "$XARGS" = ":"; then

--- a/moz.configure
+++ b/moz.configure
@@ -62,10 +62,54 @@ def build_backend(backends, artifact_bui
 awk = check_prog('AWK', ('gawk', 'mawk', 'nawk', 'awk'))
 
 # Until the AWK variable is not necessary in old-configure
 @depends(awk)
 def awk_for_old_configure(value):
     add_old_configure_assignment('AWK', value)
 
 
+# Perl detection
+# ==============================================================
+perl = check_prog('PERL', ('perl5', 'perl'))
+
+# Until the PERL variable is not necessary in old-configure
+@depends(perl)
+def perl_for_old_configure(value):
+    add_old_configure_assignment('PERL', value)
+
+@template
+def perl_version_check(min_version):
+    @depends(perl)
+    @checking('for minimum required perl version >= %s' % min_version)
+    @advanced
+    def get_perl_version(perl):
+        import subprocess
+        try:
+            return subprocess.check_output([perl, '-e', 'print $]'])
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            error('Failed to get perl version: %s' % e.message)
+
+    @depends(get_perl_version)
+    def check_perl_version(version):
+        if version < min_version:
+            error('Perl %s or higher is required.' % min_version)
+
+    @depends(perl)
+    @checking('for full perl installation')
+    @advanced
+    def has_full_perl_installation(perl):
+        import subprocess
+        ret = subprocess.call(
+            [perl, '-e', 'use Config; exit(!-d $Config{archlib})'])
+        return ret == 0
+
+    @depends(has_full_perl_installation)
+    def require_full_perl_installation(has_full_perl_installation):
+        if not has_full_perl_installation:
+            error('Cannot find Config.pm or $Config{archlib}. '
+                  'A full perl installation is required.')
+
+perl_version_check('5.006')
+
+
 # Fallthrough to autoconf-based configure
 include('build/moz.configure/old.configure')

--- a/old-configure.in
+++ b/old-configure.in
@@ -58,17 +58,16 @@ NSS_VERSION=3
 
 dnl Set the minimum version of toolkit libs used by mozilla
 dnl ========================================================
 GLIB_VERSION=2.22
 # 2_26 is the earliest version we can set GLIB_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED.
 # The macro won't be used when compiling with earlier versions anyway.
 GLIB_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED=GLIB_VERSION_2_26
 GIO_VERSION=2.22
-PERL_VERSION=5.006
 CAIRO_VERSION=1.10
 PANGO_VERSION=1.22.0
 GTK2_VERSION=2.18.0
 GTK3_VERSION=3.4.0
 GDK_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED=GDK_VERSION_3_4
 WINDRES_VERSION=2.14.90
 W32API_VERSION=3.14
 GNOMEUI_VERSION=2.2.0
@@ -109,22 +108,16 @@ if test -n "$L10NBASEDIR"; then
     elif test -d "$L10NBASEDIR"; then
         L10NBASEDIR=`cd "$L10NBASEDIR" && pwd -P`
     else
         AC_MSG_ERROR([Invalid value --with-l10n-base, $L10NBASEDIR doesn't exist])
     fi
 fi
 AC_SUBST(L10NBASEDIR)
 
-dnl Check for Perl first -- needed for win32 SDK checks
-MOZ_PATH_PROGS(PERL, $PERL perl5 perl )
-if test -z "$PERL" -o "$PERL" = ":"; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([perl not found in \$PATH])
-fi
-
 if test -n "$MOZTTDIR" -a ! -d "$MOZTTDIR" ; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([MOZTTDIR '$MOZTTDIR' isn't a valid directory])
 fi
 
 AC_SUBST(MOZTTDIR)
 if test -n "$MOZTTDIR" ; then
     AC_DEFINE(PACKAGE_MOZTT)
 fi
@@ -696,35 +689,16 @@ AC_SUBST(WRAP_STL_INCLUDES)
 AC_SUBST(MOZ_MSVC_STL_WRAP_RAISE)
 
 dnl ========================================================
 dnl Checks for programs.
 dnl ========================================================
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_LN_S
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for minimum required perl version >= $PERL_VERSION])
-_perl_version=`PERL_VERSION=$PERL_VERSION $PERL -e 'print "$]"; if ($] >= $ENV{PERL_VERSION}) { exit(0); } else { exit(1); }' 2>&5`
-_perl_res=$?
-AC_MSG_RESULT([$_perl_version])
-
-if test "$_perl_res" != 0; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([Perl $PERL_VERSION or higher is required.])
-fi
-
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for full perl installation])
-_perl_archlib=`$PERL -e 'use Config; if ( -d $Config{archlib} ) { exit(0); } else { exit(1); }' 2>&5`
-_perl_res=$?
-if test "$_perl_res" != 0; then
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find Config.pm or \$Config{archlib}.  A full perl installation is required.])
-else
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-fi
-
 if test -z "$COMPILE_ENVIRONMENT"; then
     NSINSTALL_BIN='$(PYTHON) $(MOZILLA_DIR)/config/nsinstall.py'
 fi
 AC_SUBST(NSINSTALL_BIN)
 
 MOZ_PATH_PROG(DOXYGEN, doxygen, :)
 MOZ_PATH_PROGS(UNZIP, unzip)
 if test -z "$UNZIP" -o "$UNZIP" = ":"; then