diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 48a8936a..e06d0ccf 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -169,14 +169,12 @@ if (NOT SuiteSparse_FOUND)
 		${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/tutorials/tutorial2.cpp
 		${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/tutorials/tutorial3.cpp
 		${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/tutorials/tutorial4.cpp
-		${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/examples/spu_2p.cpp
 		)
 endif (NOT SuiteSparse_FOUND)
 
 # these files are provided in source control, but can only compile with Matlab
 # available; we are not supposed to include the TinyXML test prog. regardless
 list (REMOVE_ITEM opm-core_SOURCES
-	${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/${opm-core_DIR}/core/grid/cpgpreprocess/mxgrdecl.c
 	${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/${opm-core_DIR}/core/grid/cpgpreprocess/processgrid.c
 	${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/${opm-core_DIR}/core/utility/parameters/tinyxml/xmltest.cpp
 	)
diff --git a/examples/sim_2p_incomp.cpp b/examples/sim_2p_incomp.cpp
index ef4e78ea..75fe2901 100644
--- a/examples/sim_2p_incomp.cpp
+++ b/examples/sim_2p_incomp.cpp
@@ -78,6 +78,19 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
     parameter::ParameterGroup param(argc, argv, false);
     std::cout << "---------------    Reading parameters     ---------------" << std::endl;
 
+#if ! HAVE_SUITESPARSE_UMFPACK_H
+    // This is an extra check to intercept a potentially invalid request for the
+    // implicit transport solver as early as possible for the user.
+    {
+        const bool use_reorder = param.getDefault("use_reorder", true);
+        if (!use_reorder) {
+            THROW("Cannot use implicit transport solver without UMFPACK. "
+                  "Either reconfigure opm-core with SuiteSparse/UMFPACK support and recompile, "
+                  "or use the reordering solver (use_reorder=true).");
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
     // If we have a "deck_filename", grid and props will be read from that.
     bool use_deck = param.has("deck_filename");
     boost::scoped_ptr<EclipseGridParser> deck;
diff --git a/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseGridParser.cpp b/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseGridParser.cpp
index ca928d9f..8a1905ec 100644
--- a/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseGridParser.cpp
+++ b/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseGridParser.cpp
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@ void EclipseGridParser::saveEGRID_INIT( const std::string& output_dir , const st
 void EclipseGridParser::saveEGRID( const std::string & filename) const
 {
     static_cast<void>(filename); // Suppress "unused variable" warning.
-    THROW("Cannot write EGRID format without ert library support. Reconfigure opm-core with --with-ert and recompile.");
+    THROW("Cannot write EGRID format without ERT library support. Reconfigure opm-core with ERT support and recompile.");
 }
 
 #endif
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ void EclipseGridParser::getNumericErtFields(const string& filename)
     ecl_file_close(ecl_file);
 #else
     static_cast<void>(filename); // Suppress "unused variable" warning.
-    THROW("Cannot use IMPORT keyword without ert library support. Reconfigure opm-core with --with-ert and recompile.");
+    THROW("Cannot use IMPORT keyword without ERT library support. Reconfigure opm-core with ERT support and recompile.");
 #endif  // HAVE_ERT
 }
 
diff --git a/opm/core/io/eclipse/writeECLData.cpp b/opm/core/io/eclipse/writeECLData.cpp
index ab733410..1729fdb6 100644
--- a/opm/core/io/eclipse/writeECLData.cpp
+++ b/opm/core/io/eclipse/writeECLData.cpp
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ namespace Opm
                       const std::string&,
                       const std::string&)
     {
-        THROW("Cannot call writeECLData() without ert library support. Reconfigure opm-core with --with-ert and recompile.");
+        THROW("Cannot call writeECLData() without ERT library support. Reconfigure opm-core with ERT support and recompile.");
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/opm/core/transport/implicit/CSRMatrixUmfpackSolver.hpp b/opm/core/transport/implicit/CSRMatrixUmfpackSolver.hpp
index c08f60f5..7b20b0ff 100644
--- a/opm/core/transport/implicit/CSRMatrixUmfpackSolver.hpp
+++ b/opm/core/transport/implicit/CSRMatrixUmfpackSolver.hpp
@@ -37,32 +37,51 @@
 #define OPM_CSRMATRIXUMFPACKSOLVER_HPP_HEADER
 
 #include <opm/core/linalg/call_umfpack.h>
+#include <opm/core/utility/ErrorMacros.hpp>
 
-namespace Opm {
-    namespace ImplicitTransportLinAlgSupport {
-        class CSRMatrixUmfpackSolver {
+namespace Opm
+{
+    namespace ImplicitTransportLinAlgSupport
+    {
+
+        class CSRMatrixUmfpackSolver
+        {
         public:
+
+
             template <class Vector>
             void
             solve(const struct CSRMatrix* A,
                   const Vector            b,
-                  Vector                  x) {
-
-                call_UMFPACK(const_cast<CSRMatrix*>(A),
-                             b, x);
+                  Vector                  x)
+            {
+#if HAVE_SUITESPARSE_UMFPACK_H
+                call_UMFPACK(const_cast<CSRMatrix*>(A), b, x);
+#else
+    THROW("Cannot use implicit transport solver without UMFPACK. "
+          "Reconfigure opm-core with SuiteSparse/UMFPACK support and recompile.");
+#endif
             }
 
+
             template <class Vector>
             void
             solve(const struct CSRMatrix& A,
                   const Vector&           b,
-                  Vector&                 x) {
-
-                call_UMFPACK(const_cast<CSRMatrix*>(&A),
-                             &b[0], &x[0]);
+                  Vector&                 x)
+            {
+#if HAVE_SUITESPARSE_UMFPACK_H
+                call_UMFPACK(const_cast<CSRMatrix*>(&A), &b[0], &x[0]);
+#else
+    THROW("Cannot use implicit transport solver without UMFPACK. "
+          "Reconfigure opm-core with SuiteSparse/UMFPACK support and recompile.");
+#endif
             }
-        };
-    }
-}
+
+
+        }; // class CSRMatrixUmfpackSolver
+
+    } // namespace ImplicitTransportLinAlgSupport
+} // namespace Opm
 
 #endif  /* OPM_CSRMATRIXUMFPACKSOLVER_HPP_HEADER */