diff --git a/include/nftables.h b/include/nftables.h
index 3394e32..c3d3dbf 100644
--- a/include/nftables.h
+++ b/include/nftables.h
@@ -31,7 +31,14 @@ extern unsigned int debug_level;
 extern const char *include_paths[INCLUDE_PATHS_MAX];
 
 struct parser_state;
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBREADLINE
 extern int cli_init(struct parser_state *state);
+#else
+static inline int cli_init(struct parser_state *state)
+{
+	return -1;
+}
+#endif
 extern void cli_exit(void);
 extern void cli_display(const char *fmt, va_list ap) __fmtstring(1, 0);
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index de2efe6..8dc0768 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -335,14 +335,12 @@ int main(int argc, char * const *argv)
 		if (scanner_read_file(scanner, filename, &internal_location) < 0)
 			goto out;
 	} else if (interactive) {
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBREADLINE
-		cli_init(&state);
+		if (cli_init(&state) < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s: CLI not supported in this build\n",
+				argv[0]);
+			exit(NFT_EXIT_FAILURE);
+		}
 		return 0;
-#else
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: interactive CLI not supported in this build\n",
-			argv[0]);
-		exit(NFT_EXIT_FAILURE);
-#endif
 	} else {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: no command specified\n", argv[0]);
 		exit(NFT_EXIT_FAILURE);