diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4e5f5554f44..1e7ebcec6e0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5049,6 +5049,37 @@ EOF
 
 fi
 
+
+echo $ac_n "checking "whether we need to define __i386__"""... $ac_c" 1>&6
+echo "configure:5055: checking "whether we need to define __i386__"" >&5
+if eval "test \"`echo '$''{'ac_cv_cpp_def_i386'+set}'`\" = set"; then
+  echo $ac_n "(cached) $ac_c" 1>&6
+else
+  cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
+#line 5060 "configure"
+#include "confdefs.h"
+#if (defined(i386) || defined(__i386)) && !defined(__i386__)
+yes
+#endif
+EOF
+if (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>&5 |
+  egrep "yes" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  rm -rf conftest*
+  ac_cv_cpp_def_i386="yes"
+else
+  rm -rf conftest*
+  ac_cv_cpp_def_i386="no"
+fi
+rm -f conftest*
+
+fi
+
+echo "$ac_t""$ac_cv_cpp_def_i386" 1>&6
+if test "$ac_cv_cpp_def_i386" = "yes"
+then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -D__i386__"
+fi
+
 GCC_NO_BUILTIN=""
 if test "$GCC" = "yes"
 then
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 7bd0ad754ae..75149de48f7 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -695,6 +695,18 @@ then
     AC_DEFINE(HAVE_MSGHDR_ACCRIGHTS)
 fi
 
+dnl *** check for the need to define __i386__
+
+AC_CACHE_CHECK("whether we need to define __i386__",ac_cv_cpp_def_i386,
+ AC_EGREP_CPP(yes,[#if (defined(i386) || defined(__i386)) && !defined(__i386__)
+yes
+#endif],
+ ac_cv_cpp_def_i386="yes", ac_cv_cpp_def_i386="no"))
+if test "$ac_cv_cpp_def_i386" = "yes"
+then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -D__i386__"
+fi
+
 dnl $GCC is set by autoconf
 GCC_NO_BUILTIN=""
 if test "$GCC" = "yes"