diff --git a/tools/burnin b/tools/burnin
index c5d1612ffa36df856f6fcc413759638626156c53..04427091993af90a383a7c71e94eea609387c8e7 100755
--- a/tools/burnin
+++ b/tools/burnin
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ OPTIONS = [
                  const=[], default=[{}]),
   cli.cli_option("--no-confd", dest="do_confd_tests",
                  help="Skip confd queries",
-                 action="store_false", default=True),
+                 action="store_false", default=constants.ENABLE_CONFD),
   cli.cli_option("--rename", dest="rename", default=None,
                  help=("Give one unused instance name which is taken"
                        " to start the renaming sequence"),
@@ -991,6 +991,9 @@ class Burner(object):
       Err("When one node is available/selected the disk template must"
           " be 'diskless', 'file' or 'plain'")
 
+    if opts.do_confd_tests and not constants.ENABLE_CONFD:
+      Err("You selected confd tests but confd was disabled at configure time")
+
     has_err = True
     try:
       self.BurnCreateInstances()