--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -104,18 +104,7 @@
 if [ "x${HEPMCVERSION}" = "x" ] ; then
   if [ "x${HEPMCLOCATION}" != "x" ] ; then
 #                                            try to find out which HepMC version
-    test1=`echo $HEPMCLOCATION | grep \/1.`
-    test2=`echo $HEPMCLOCATION | grep \/2.`
-    echo $test1
-    echo $test2
-    if [ "x${test1}" != "x" ] ; then
-      echo "Warning: HepMC 1 cannot be used anymore; Please use HepMC 2"
-      echo "         The interface will not be built"
-      export HEPMCLOCATION=
-    fi
-    if [ "x${test2}" != "x" ] ; then
-      export HEPMCVERSION=2.`echo $HEPMCLOCATION | awk -F \/2. '{print $2}' | awk -F \/ '{print $1}'`
-    fi
+    export HEPMCVERSION=`grep 'define HEPMC_VERSION' ${HEPMCLOCATION}/include/HepMC/HepMCDefs.h | awk '{print $3}' | tr -d '"'`
   fi
 fi
 if [ "x${HEPMCVERSION}" != "x" ] ; then