diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 834d88ed82d467e509ea413b3be5499feeeff6d9..cc3e5dd355f10e198e5862dd03b7bea3e5d98c4c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ TMPC="${TMPDIR1}/qemu-conf-${RANDOM}-$$-${RANDOM}.c"
 TMPO="${TMPDIR1}/qemu-conf-${RANDOM}-$$-${RANDOM}.o"
 TMPE="${TMPDIR1}/qemu-conf-${RANDOM}-$$-${RANDOM}"
 
+THISSHELL=${_:-/bin/sh}
+
 trap "rm -f $TMPC $TMPO $TMPE ; exit" 0 2 3 15
 
 compile_object() {
@@ -1795,7 +1797,7 @@ echo "EXESUF=$EXESUF" >> $config_host_mak
 
 echo "/* Automatically generated by configure - do not modify */" > $config_host_h
 
-$SHELL $source_path/create_config < $config_host_mak >> $config_host_h
+$THISSHELL $source_path/create_config < $config_host_mak >> $config_host_h
 
 if test -f ${config_host_h}~ ; then
   if cmp -s $config_host_h ${config_host_h}~ ; then
@@ -2215,7 +2217,7 @@ echo "QEMU_CFLAGS+=$cflags" >> $config_mak
 echo "/* Automatically generated by configure - do not modify */" > $config_h
 echo "#include \"../config-host.h\"" >> $config_h
 
-$SHELL $source_path/create_config < $config_mak >> $config_h
+$THISSHELL $source_path/create_config < $config_mak >> $config_h
 
 if test -f ${config_h}~ ; then
   if cmp -s $config_h ${config_h}~ ; then