--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <inttypes.h> header file. */
 #undef HAVE_INTTYPES_H
 
-/* Define to 1 if you have the `curl' library (-lcurl). */
-#undef HAVE_LIBCURL
-
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `m' library (-lm). */
 #undef HAVE_LIBM
 
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -22122,6 +22122,14 @@ $as_echo "$as_me: checking types, headers, and functions" >&6;}
 
 # We must check for all these, because they may be used by the netCDF
 # C library.
+# Removing the checks for some of the libraries because of issues
+# observed when they are detected, are not needed, and an attempt to
+# link against is made anyways.
+# See https://github.com/Unidata/netcdf-fortran/issues/164
+#
+# Specifying LDFLAGS="$(nc-config --libs [--static])" should
+# let downstream developers link more reliably against libnetcdf.
+
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for floor in -lm" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for floor in -lm... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_lib_m_floor+:} false; then :
@@ -22167,163 +22175,6 @@ _ACEOF
 
 fi
 
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for curl_easy_setopt in -lcurl" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for curl_easy_setopt in -lcurl... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_lib_curl_curl_easy_setopt+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_check_lib_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-LIBS="-lcurl  $LIBS"
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char curl_easy_setopt ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return curl_easy_setopt ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_lib_curl_curl_easy_setopt=yes
-else
-  ac_cv_lib_curl_curl_easy_setopt=no
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_check_lib_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_curl_curl_easy_setopt" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_curl_curl_easy_setopt" >&6; }
-if test "x$ac_cv_lib_curl_curl_easy_setopt" = xyes; then :
-  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE_LIBCURL 1
-_ACEOF
-
-  LIBS="-lcurl $LIBS"
-
-fi
-
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing deflate" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for library containing deflate... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_search_deflate+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char deflate ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return deflate ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-for ac_lib in '' zlibwapi zlibstat zlib zlib1 z; do
-  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
-    ac_res="none required"
-  else
-    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
-    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
-  fi
-  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_search_deflate=$ac_res
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext
-  if ${ac_cv_search_deflate+:} false; then :
-  break
-fi
-done
-if ${ac_cv_search_deflate+:} false; then :
-
-else
-  ac_cv_search_deflate=no
-fi
-rm conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_search_deflate" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_search_deflate" >&6; }
-ac_res=$ac_cv_search_deflate
-if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
-  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
-
-fi
-
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing SZ_Compress" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for library containing SZ_Compress... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char SZ_Compress ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return SZ_Compress ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-for ac_lib in '' szip sz; do
-  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
-    ac_res="none required"
-  else
-    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
-    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
-  fi
-  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress=$ac_res
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext
-  if ${ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress+:} false; then :
-  break
-fi
-done
-if ${ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress+:} false; then :
-
-else
-  ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress=no
-fi
-rm conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress" >&6; }
-ac_res=$ac_cv_search_SZ_Compress
-if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
-  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
-
-fi
-
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing dlopen" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for library containing dlopen... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_search_dlopen+:} false; then :
@@ -22380,118 +22231,6 @@ if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
 
 fi
 
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing H5Fflush" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for library containing H5Fflush... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_search_H5Fflush+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char H5Fflush ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return H5Fflush ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-for ac_lib in '' hdf5dll hdf5; do
-  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
-    ac_res="none required"
-  else
-    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
-    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
-  fi
-  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_search_H5Fflush=$ac_res
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext
-  if ${ac_cv_search_H5Fflush+:} false; then :
-  break
-fi
-done
-if ${ac_cv_search_H5Fflush+:} false; then :
-
-else
-  ac_cv_search_H5Fflush=no
-fi
-rm conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_search_H5Fflush" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_search_H5Fflush" >&6; }
-ac_res=$ac_cv_search_H5Fflush
-if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
-  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
-
-fi
-
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing H5DSis_scale" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for library containing H5DSis_scale... " >&6; }
-if ${ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  ac_func_search_save_LIBS=$LIBS
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
-   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
-   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C"
-#endif
-char H5DSis_scale ();
-int
-main ()
-{
-return H5DSis_scale ();
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-for ac_lib in '' hdf5_hldll hdf5_hl; do
-  if test -z "$ac_lib"; then
-    ac_res="none required"
-  else
-    ac_res=-l$ac_lib
-    LIBS="-l$ac_lib  $ac_func_search_save_LIBS"
-  fi
-  if ac_fn_c_try_link "$LINENO"; then :
-  ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale=$ac_res
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
-    conftest$ac_exeext
-  if ${ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale+:} false; then :
-  break
-fi
-done
-if ${ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale+:} false; then :
-
-else
-  ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale=no
-fi
-rm conftest.$ac_ext
-LIBS=$ac_func_search_save_LIBS
-fi
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale" >&6; }
-ac_res=$ac_cv_search_H5DSis_scale
-if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
-  test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
-
-fi
-
 
 # Find the netCDF header and library.
 for ac_header in netcdf.h