diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 46dd5f1d2ef..763bfbde268 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1136,6 +1136,19 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT($usable_wchar_t)
 # check for endianness
 AC_C_BIGENDIAN
 
+# Check whether right shifting a negative integer extends the sign bit
+# or fills with zeros (like the Cray J90, according to Tim Peters).
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether right shift extends the sign bit)
+AC_TRY_RUN([
+int main()
+{
+	return ((-1)>>3 == -1) ? 1 : 0;
+}
+],
+[AC_DEFINE(SIGNED_RIGHT_SHIFT_ZERO_FILLS)
+ AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)],
+[AC_MSG_RESULT(no)])
+
 # THIS MUST BE LAST, IT CAN BREAK OTHER TESTS!
 # Add sys/socket.h to confdefs.h
 cat >> confdefs.h <<\EOF