diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fea56a821e..07d613ab1b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -48320,14 +48320,117 @@ echo "${ECHO_T}yes" >&6; }
 	wx_has_graphics=1
 fi
         if test "$wx_has_graphics" = 1; then
-            cat >>confdefs.h <<\_ACEOF
+                                                save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+            LIBS="$LIBS $CAIRO_LIBS"
+
+for ac_func in cairo_push_group
+do
+as_ac_var=`echo "ac_cv_func_$ac_func" | $as_tr_sh`
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_func" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for $ac_func... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+if { as_var=$as_ac_var; eval "test \"\${$as_var+set}\" = set"; }; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+/* Define $ac_func to an innocuous variant, in case <limits.h> declares $ac_func.
+   For example, HP-UX 11i <limits.h> declares gettimeofday.  */
+#define $ac_func innocuous_$ac_func
+
+/* System header to define __stub macros and hopefully few prototypes,
+    which can conflict with char $ac_func (); below.
+    Prefer <limits.h> to <assert.h> if __STDC__ is defined, since
+    <limits.h> exists even on freestanding compilers.  */
+
+#ifdef __STDC__
+# include <limits.h>
+#else
+# include <assert.h>
+#endif
+
+#undef $ac_func
+
+/* Override any GCC internal prototype to avoid an error.
+   Use char because int might match the return type of a GCC
+   builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+#endif
+char $ac_func ();
+/* The GNU C library defines this for functions which it implements
+    to always fail with ENOSYS.  Some functions are actually named
+    something starting with __ and the normal name is an alias.  */
+#if defined __stub_$ac_func || defined __stub___$ac_func
+choke me
+#endif
+
+int
+main ()
+{
+return $ac_func ();
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext conftest$ac_exeext
+if { (ac_try="$ac_link"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval "echo \"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\"") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_link") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       } && test -s conftest$ac_exeext &&
+       $as_test_x conftest$ac_exeext; then
+  eval "$as_ac_var=yes"
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+	eval "$as_ac_var=no"
+fi
+
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest_ipa8_conftest.oo \
+      conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
+fi
+ac_res=`eval echo '${'$as_ac_var'}'`
+	       { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_res" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_res" >&6; }
+if test `eval echo '${'$as_ac_var'}'` = yes; then
+  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define `echo "HAVE_$ac_func" | $as_tr_cpp` 1
+_ACEOF
+
+fi
+done
+
+            LIBS="$save_LIBS"
+            if test "$ac_cv_func_cairo_push_group" = "no"; then
+                wx_has_graphics=0
+                { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Cairo library is too old and misses cairo_push_group()" >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: Cairo library is too old and misses cairo_push_group()" >&2;}
+            else
+                cat >>confdefs.h <<\_ACEOF
 #define wxUSE_CAIRO 1
 _ACEOF
 
 
-                                    if test "$wxUSE_GTK" != 1; then
-                CPPFLAGS="$CAIRO_CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
-                GUI_TK_LIBRARY="$GUI_TK_LIBRARY $CAIRO_LIBS"
+                                                if test "$wxUSE_GTK" != 1; then
+                    CPPFLAGS="$CAIRO_CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
+                    GUI_TK_LIBRARY="$GUI_TK_LIBRARY $CAIRO_LIBS"
+                fi
             fi
         fi
     else
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index a9f6d3b791..279ff1a03d 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -7510,13 +7510,25 @@ if test "$wxUSE_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT" = "yes"; then
             [AC_MSG_WARN([Cairo library not found])]
         )
         if test "$wx_has_graphics" = 1; then
-            AC_DEFINE(wxUSE_CAIRO)
+            dnl Check that Cairo library is new enough: wxGraphicsContext
+            dnl won't compile without cairo_push_group() and
+            dnl cairo_pop_group_to_source() which are new in 1.2.
+            save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+            LIBS="$LIBS $CAIRO_LIBS"
+            AC_CHECK_FUNCS([cairo_push_group])
+            LIBS="$save_LIBS"
+            if test "$ac_cv_func_cairo_push_group" = "no"; then
+                wx_has_graphics=0
+                AC_MSG_WARN([Cairo library is too old and misses cairo_push_group()])
+            else
+                AC_DEFINE(wxUSE_CAIRO)
 
-            dnl We don't need to do this for wxGTK as we already get Cairo
-            dnl flags as part of GTK+ ones.
-            if test "$wxUSE_GTK" != 1; then
-                CPPFLAGS="$CAIRO_CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
-                GUI_TK_LIBRARY="$GUI_TK_LIBRARY $CAIRO_LIBS"
+                dnl We don't need to do this for wxGTK as we already get Cairo
+                dnl flags as part of GTK+ ones.
+                if test "$wxUSE_GTK" != 1; then
+                    CPPFLAGS="$CAIRO_CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
+                    GUI_TK_LIBRARY="$GUI_TK_LIBRARY $CAIRO_LIBS"
+                fi
             fi
         fi
     else