diff --git a/config.in b/config.in
index 78e0042..4d84aa0 100644
--- a/config.in
+++ b/config.in
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ bindir      = @bindir@
 libdir      = @libdir@
 
 INSTALL= @INSTALL@
-MAKE= @MAKE@
+@SET_MAKE@
 
 BUILD= _build
 COMPILER=heptc
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ STDLIB_DIR=@stdlib_dir@
 OCAMLBUILD=STDLIB=$(STDLIB_DIR) @OCAMLBUILD@
 
 TARGET=byte
-ENABLE_SIMULATOR=@enable_simulator@
\ No newline at end of file
+ENABLE_SIMULATOR=@enable_simulator@
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8019bde..fe907f0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -584,6 +584,7 @@ OCAMLOPT
 OCAMLLIB
 OCAMLVERSION
 OCAMLC
+SET_MAKE
 INSTALL_DATA
 INSTALL_SCRIPT
 INSTALL_PROGRAM
@@ -1800,6 +1801,38 @@ test -z "$INSTALL_SCRIPT" && INSTALL_SCRIPT='${INSTALL}'
 test -z "$INSTALL_DATA" && INSTALL_DATA='${INSTALL} -m 644'
 
 
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether ${MAKE-make} sets \$(MAKE)" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking whether ${MAKE-make} sets \$(MAKE)... " >&6; }
+set x ${MAKE-make}
+ac_make=`$as_echo "$2" | sed 's/+/p/g; s/[^a-zA-Z0-9_]/_/g'`
+if eval \${ac_cv_prog_make_${ac_make}_set+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  cat >conftest.make <<\_ACEOF
+SHELL = /bin/sh
+all:
+	@echo '@@@%%%=$(MAKE)=@@@%%%'
+_ACEOF
+# GNU make sometimes prints "make[1]: Entering ...", which would confuse us.
+case `${MAKE-make} -f conftest.make 2>/dev/null` in
+  *@@@%%%=?*=@@@%%%*)
+    eval ac_cv_prog_make_${ac_make}_set=yes;;
+  *)
+    eval ac_cv_prog_make_${ac_make}_set=no;;
+esac
+rm -f conftest.make
+fi
+if eval test \$ac_cv_prog_make_${ac_make}_set = yes; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+  SET_MAKE=
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+  SET_MAKE="MAKE=${MAKE-make}"
+fi
+
+
 # Check whether --enable-simulator was given.
 if test "${enable_simulator+set}" = set; then :
   enableval=$enable_simulator;
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 1ce0da2..739ffdf 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ AC_INIT(heptagon,1.0)
 
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 
+AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(simulator,
     [  --enable-simulator      enable the graphical simulator],,
     enable_simulator=no)