diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 52784f96b2..b8735a1ed1 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 2013-10-14  Nobuyoshi Nakada  <nobu@ruby-lang.org>
 
+	* ruby.c (process_options): use gem_prelude instead of requiring
+	  rubygems directly when --enable=gems is given.
+
+	* Makefile.in (DEFAULT_PRELUDES): always use gem_prelude regardless of
+	  --disable-rubygems.
+
 	* lib/mkmf.rb (have_framework): should append framework options to
 	  $LIBS, not $LDFLAGS.  the former is propagated to exts.mk when
 	  enable-static-linked-ext.
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 5a2094e074..98749dec61 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ XRUBY_LIBDIR = @XRUBY_LIBDIR@
 XRUBY_RUBYLIBDIR = @XRUBY_RUBYLIBDIR@
 XRUBY_RUBYHDRDIR = @XRUBY_RUBYHDRDIR@
 
-DEFAULT_PRELUDES = $(@USE_RUBYGEMS@_GEM_PRELUDE)
+DEFAULT_PRELUDES = $(GEM_PRELUDE)
 
 #### End of system configuration section. ####
 
diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index d42363401a..a3e3f5a268 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -112,8 +112,6 @@ GOLFOBJS      = goruby.$(OBJEXT) golf_prelude.$(OBJEXT)
 
 PRELUDE_SCRIPTS = $(srcdir)/prelude.rb $(srcdir)/enc/prelude.rb $(DEFAULT_PRELUDES)
 GEM_PRELUDE = $(srcdir)/gem_prelude.rb
-YES_GEM_PRELUDE = $(GEM_PRELUDE)
-NO_GEM_PRELUDE =
 PRELUDES      = prelude.c miniprelude.c
 GOLFPRELUDES = golf_prelude.c
 
diff --git a/ruby.c b/ruby.c
index 6723d200cf..233e14025b 100644
--- a/ruby.c
+++ b/ruby.c
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@
 char *getenv();
 #endif
 
-#if defined DISABLE_RUBYGEMS && DISABLE_RUBYGEMS
+#ifndef DISABLE_RUBYGEMS
+# define DISABLE_RUBYGEMS 0
+#endif
+#if DISABLE_RUBYGEMS
 #define DEFAULT_RUBYGEMS_ENABLED "disabled"
 #else
 #define DEFAULT_RUBYGEMS_ENABLED "enabled"
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ cmdline_options_init(struct cmdline_options *opt)
     opt->src.enc.index = src_encoding_index;
     opt->ext.enc.index = -1;
     opt->intern.enc.index = -1;
-#if defined DISABLE_RUBYGEMS && DISABLE_RUBYGEMS
+#if DISABLE_RUBYGEMS
     opt->disable |= DISABLE_BIT(gems);
 #endif
     return opt;
@@ -1446,11 +1449,7 @@ process_options(int argc, char **argv, struct cmdline_options *opt)
 	}
     }
     if (!(opt->disable & DISABLE_BIT(gems))) {
-#if defined DISABLE_RUBYGEMS && DISABLE_RUBYGEMS
-	rb_require("rubygems");
-#else
 	rb_define_module("Gem");
-#endif
     }
     ruby_init_prelude();
     ruby_set_argv(argc, argv);