diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ce1078b6a..0c08cfc50 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ LIBEDATASERVERUI_MIN_VERSION=2.91.6
 TELEPATHY_GLIB_MIN_VERSION=0.13.12
 TELEPATHY_LOGGER_MIN_VERSION=0.2.4
 POLKIT_MIN_VERSION=0.100
+STARTUP_NOTIFICATION_MIN_VERSION=0.11
 
 # Collect more than 20 libraries for a prize!
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GNOME_SHELL, gio-2.0 >= $GIO_MIN_VERSION
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GNOME_SHELL, gio-2.0 >= $GIO_MIN_VERSION
                                gdk-x11-3.0
 			       clutter-x11-1.0 >= $CLUTTER_MIN_VERSION
 			       clutter-glx-1.0 >= $CLUTTER_MIN_VERSION
-                               libstartup-notification-1.0
+                               libstartup-notification-1.0 >= $STARTUP_NOTIFICATION_MIN_VERSION
                                gobject-introspection-1.0 >= $GOBJECT_INTROSPECTION_MIN_VERSION
 			       libcanberra
                                telepathy-glib >= $TELEPATHY_GLIB_MIN_VERSION
@@ -114,8 +115,6 @@ saved_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
 saved_LIBS=$LIBS
 CFLAGS=$GNOME_SHELL_CFLAGS
 LIBS=$GNOME_SHELL_LIBS
-# sn_startup_sequence_get_application_id, we can replace with a version check later
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(JS_NewGlobalObject sn_startup_sequence_get_application_id XFixesCreatePointerBarrier)
 CFLAGS=$saved_CFLAGS
 LIBS=$saved_LIBS
 
diff --git a/src/shell-window-tracker.c b/src/shell-window-tracker.c
index d2983beed..1c7cf5144 100644
--- a/src/shell-window-tracker.c
+++ b/src/shell-window-tracker.c
@@ -944,7 +944,6 @@ shell_startup_sequence_get_id (ShellStartupSequence *sequence)
 ShellApp *
 shell_startup_sequence_get_app (ShellStartupSequence *sequence)
 {
-#ifdef HAVE_SN_STARTUP_SEQUENCE_GET_APPLICATION_ID
   const char *appid;
   ShellAppSystem *appsys;
   ShellApp *app;
@@ -956,9 +955,6 @@ shell_startup_sequence_get_app (ShellStartupSequence *sequence)
   appsys = shell_app_system_get_default ();
   app = shell_app_system_get_app_for_path (appsys, appid);
   return app;
-#else
-  return NULL;
-#endif
 }
 
 const char *