diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4d98e877..433c315a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -157,14 +157,6 @@ if(GIT_EXECUTABLE)
     message("Git commit hash: ${LWS_BUILD_HASH}")
 endif()
 
-macro(confirm_command CMD NOCMD)
-	find_program (HAVE_CMD_${CMD} ${CMD} )
-	if (NOT HAVE_CMD_${CMD})
-		message(FATAL_ERROR "Missing command ${CMD} required for build: ${NOCMD}" )
-	endif()
-endmacro()
-
-
 if (LWS_WITH_LWSWS)
  message(STATUS "LWS_WITH_LWSWS --> Enabling LWS_WITH_PLUGINS and LWS_WITH_LIBUV")
  set(LWS_WITH_PLUGINS 1)
@@ -224,10 +216,6 @@ if (LWS_WITH_ESP8266)
 endif()
 
 if (LWS_WITH_ESP32)
-
-	confirm_command(xxd "usually found in vim package")
-	confirm_command(genromfs "install genromfs package")
-
  set(LWS_WITH_SHARED OFF)
  set(LWS_WITH_MBEDTLS ON)
   # set(LWS_WITHOUT_CLIENT ON)
diff --git a/scripts/esp32.mk b/scripts/esp32.mk
index f8c8f687..566ca3d7 100644
--- a/scripts/esp32.mk
+++ b/scripts/esp32.mk
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
 
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 
+# check genromfs is available
+GENROMFS := $(shell command -v genromfs 2> /dev/null)
+# check xxd is available
+XXD := $(shell command -v xxd 2> /dev/null)
+
 ESPPORT ?= $(CONFIG_ESPTOOLPY_PORT)
 
 LWS_BUILD_PATH=$(PROJECT_PATH)/build
@@ -22,6 +27,14 @@ export FAC
 DIRNAME:=$(shell basename $$(pwd) | tr -d '\n')
 
 $(LWS_BUILD_PATH)/pack.img: $(APP_BIN)
+	if [ -z "$(GENROMFS)" ]; then \
+		echo "ERROR: genromfs is unavailable, please install or compile genromfs" ; \
+		exit 1 ; \
+	fi; \
+	if [ -z "$(XXD)" ]; then \
+		echo "ERROR: xxd is unavailable, please install or compile xxd (usually provided by vim package)" ; \
+		exit 1 ; \
+	fi; \
 	GNUSTAT=stat ;\
 	if [ `which gstat 2>/dev/null` ] ; then GNUSTAT=gstat ; fi ;\
 	DIRNAME=$$(basename $$(pwd) | tr -d '\n') ;\