diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 46049b072e9..ee56c879347 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2014-01-10  Chong Yidong  <cyd@gnu.org>
+
+	* progmodes/octave.el (octave-mode-menu): Don't assume eldoc is
+	loaded.
+
 2014-01-10  Anders Lindgren  <andlind@gmail.com>
 
 	* follow.el (follow-cache-command-list): Include right-char and
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/octave.el b/lisp/progmodes/octave.el
index 2ae0a02727f..e2ef492a9ad 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/octave.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/octave.el
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@ parenthetical grouping.")
                               (if (fboundp 'eldoc-post-insert-mode)
                                   'eldoc-post-insert-mode
                                 'eldoc-mode))
-     :style toggle :selected (or eldoc-post-insert-mode eldoc-mode)
+     :style toggle :selected (or (bound-and-true-p eldoc-post-insert-mode)
+				 (bound-and-true-p eldoc-mode))
      :help "Display function signatures after typing `SPC' or `('"]
     ["Delimiter Matching"           show-paren-mode
      :style toggle :selected show-paren-mode