diff --git a/m4/check-pthread.m4 b/m4/check-pthread.m4
index 706829d9..c5b8bf27 100644
--- a/m4/check-pthread.m4
+++ b/m4/check-pthread.m4
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ AS_IF([test "x$PTHREAD_LIBS" != x],
 [vkd3d_libs_saved="$LIBS"
 LIBS="$LIBS $PTHREAD_LIBS"
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([checking for pthread_create in $PTHREAD_LIBS])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for pthread_create in $PTHREAD_LIBS])
 AC_TRY_LINK_FUNC([pthread_create], [vkd3d_pthread_found=yes])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$vkd3d_pthread_found])
 
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ AS_IF([test "x$vkd3d_pthread_found" != "xyes"],
 PTHREAD_LIBS="-pthread"
 LIBS="$LIBS $PTHREAD_LIBS"
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([checking for pthread_create in $PTHREAD_LIBS])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for pthread_create in $PTHREAD_LIBS])
 AC_TRY_LINK_FUNC([pthread_create], [vkd3d_pthread_found=yes])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$vkd3d_pthread_found])
 
diff --git a/m4/widl.m4 b/m4/widl.m4
index 2311b832..096991fa 100644
--- a/m4/widl.m4
+++ b/m4/widl.m4
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([VKD3D_PROG_WIDL],
 [AC_CHECK_TOOL([WIDL], [widl], [no])
 
 AS_IF([test "x$WIDL" != "xno"],
-[AC_MSG_CHECKING([checking whether widl version >= $1.$2])
+[AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether widl version >= $1.$2])
 vkd3d_widl_version=`$WIDL -V 2>/dev/null | $SED -E '/version/{s/.* version (.*)/\1/;q;}'`
 
 AX_COMPARE_VERSION([$vkd3d_widl_version], [ge], [$1.$2],