diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 2b9eedb2ce3..ebabfb92660 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -11152,6 +11152,7 @@ fi
 
 
 
+
 
 
 for ac_func in \
@@ -11174,6 +11175,7 @@ for ac_func in \
 	getpagesize \
 	getprotobyname \
 	getprotobynumber \
+	getpwuid \
 	getservbyport \
 	getsockopt \
 	inet_network \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 21a93835edd..6a250ea9f0a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -860,6 +860,7 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(\
 	getpagesize \
 	getprotobyname \
 	getprotobynumber \
+	getpwuid \
 	getservbyport \
 	getsockopt \
 	inet_network \
diff --git a/include/config.h.in b/include/config.h.in
index a5e5627daf7..083c1f4bb9c 100644
--- a/include/config.h.in
+++ b/include/config.h.in
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `getprotobynumber' function. */
 #undef HAVE_GETPROTOBYNUMBER
 
+/* Define to 1 if you have the `getpwuid' function. */
+#undef HAVE_GETPWUID
+
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `getservbyport' function. */
 #undef HAVE_GETSERVBYPORT
 
diff --git a/library/config.c b/library/config.c
index 80a68942dae..54a255de6f4 100644
--- a/library/config.c
+++ b/library/config.c
@@ -91,11 +91,14 @@ inline static void remove_trailing_slashes( char *path )
 static void init_paths(void)
 {
     struct stat st;
-    char uid_str[32], *p;
+    char *p;
 
     const char *home = getenv( "HOME" );
     const char *user = NULL;
     const char *prefix = getenv( "WINEPREFIX" );
+
+#ifdef HAVE_GETPWUID
+    char uid_str[32];
     struct passwd *pwd = getpwuid( getuid() );
 
     if (pwd)
@@ -108,6 +111,10 @@ static void init_paths(void)
         sprintf( uid_str, "%d", getuid() );
         user = uid_str;
     }
+#else  /* HAVE_GETPWUID */
+    if (!(user = getenv( "USER" )))
+        fatal_error( "cannot determine your user name, set the USER environment variable\n" );
+#endif  /* HAVE_GETPWUID */
 
     /* build config_dir */