diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 0649bc863ae..2bbc633659a 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ What's New in Python 2.7.4?
 
 *Release date: XXXX-XX-XX*
 
+Build
+-----
+
+- Issue #17550: Fix the --enable-profiling configure switch.
+
 Core and Builtins
 -----------------
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index d3c722fcd52..528aa512ae0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5281,7 +5281,7 @@ fi
 
 if test "x$enable_profiling" = xyes; then
   ac_save_cc="$CC"
-  CC="$(CC) -pg"
+  CC="$CC -pg"
   cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
 /* end confdefs.h.  */
 int main() { return 0; }
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 66c8a457e31..cb2a958fbfe 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(profiling,
               AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-profiling], [enable C-level code profiling]))
 if test "x$enable_profiling" = xyes; then
   ac_save_cc="$CC"
-  CC="$(CC) -pg"
+  CC="$CC -pg"
   AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_SOURCE([[int main() { return 0; }]])],
     [],
     [enable_profiling=no])