diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 10ee46ca570..ebae8f5b5ca 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2242,6 +2242,52 @@ $as_echo "$ac_res" >&6; }
 
 } # ac_fn_c_check_func
 
+# ac_fn_c_check_decl LINENO SYMBOL VAR INCLUDES
+# ---------------------------------------------
+# Tests whether SYMBOL is declared in INCLUDES, setting cache variable VAR
+# accordingly.
+ac_fn_c_check_decl ()
+{
+  as_lineno=${as_lineno-"$1"} as_lineno_stack=as_lineno_stack=$as_lineno_stack
+  as_decl_name=`echo $2|sed 's/ *(.*//'`
+  as_decl_use=`echo $2|sed -e 's/(/((/' -e 's/)/) 0&/' -e 's/,/) 0& (/g'`
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether $as_decl_name is declared" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking whether $as_decl_name is declared... " >&6; }
+if eval \${$3+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+$4
+int
+main ()
+{
+#ifndef $as_decl_name
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+  (void) $as_decl_use;
+#else
+  (void) $as_decl_name;
+#endif
+#endif
+
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
+  eval "$3=yes"
+else
+  eval "$3=no"
+fi
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+fi
+eval ac_res=\$$3
+	       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_res" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_res" >&6; }
+  eval $as_lineno_stack; ${as_lineno_stack:+:} unset as_lineno
+
+} # ac_fn_c_check_decl
+
 # ac_fn_c_check_member LINENO AGGR MEMBER VAR INCLUDES
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 # Tries to find if the field MEMBER exists in type AGGR, after including
@@ -2298,52 +2344,6 @@ $as_echo "$ac_res" >&6; }
   eval $as_lineno_stack; ${as_lineno_stack:+:} unset as_lineno
 
 } # ac_fn_c_check_member
-
-# ac_fn_c_check_decl LINENO SYMBOL VAR INCLUDES
-# ---------------------------------------------
-# Tests whether SYMBOL is declared in INCLUDES, setting cache variable VAR
-# accordingly.
-ac_fn_c_check_decl ()
-{
-  as_lineno=${as_lineno-"$1"} as_lineno_stack=as_lineno_stack=$as_lineno_stack
-  as_decl_name=`echo $2|sed 's/ *(.*//'`
-  as_decl_use=`echo $2|sed -e 's/(/((/' -e 's/)/) 0&/' -e 's/,/) 0& (/g'`
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether $as_decl_name is declared" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking whether $as_decl_name is declared... " >&6; }
-if eval \${$3+:} false; then :
-  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
-else
-  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-$4
-int
-main ()
-{
-#ifndef $as_decl_name
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-  (void) $as_decl_use;
-#else
-  (void) $as_decl_name;
-#endif
-#endif
-
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
-  eval "$3=yes"
-else
-  eval "$3=no"
-fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
-fi
-eval ac_res=\$$3
-	       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_res" >&5
-$as_echo "$ac_res" >&6; }
-  eval $as_lineno_stack; ${as_lineno_stack:+:} unset as_lineno
-
-} # ac_fn_c_check_decl
 cat >config.log <<_ACEOF
 This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
 running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.
@@ -9396,7 +9396,7 @@ $as_echo "MACHDEP_OBJS" >&6; }
 
 # checks for library functions
 for ac_func in alarm accept4 setitimer getitimer bind_textdomain_codeset chown \
- clock confstr ctermid dirfd execv faccessat fchmod fchmodat fchown fchownat \
+ clock confstr ctermid execv faccessat fchmod fchmodat fchown fchownat \
  fexecve fdopendir fork fpathconf fstatat ftime ftruncate futimesat \
  futimens futimes gai_strerror \
  getgrouplist getgroups getlogin getloadavg getpeername getpgid getpid \
@@ -9429,6 +9429,16 @@ fi
 done
 
 
+ac_fn_c_check_decl "$LINENO" "dirfd" "ac_cv_have_decl_dirfd" "#include <sys/types.h>
+       #include <dirent.h>
+"
+if test "x$ac_cv_have_decl_dirfd" = xyes; then :
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_DIRFD 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+fi
+
+
 # For some functions, having a definition is not sufficient, since
 # we want to take their address.
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for chroot" >&5
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 0aa094a80f3..f0beb6bbcc5 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -2562,7 +2562,7 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT(MACHDEP_OBJS)
 
 # checks for library functions
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(alarm accept4 setitimer getitimer bind_textdomain_codeset chown \
- clock confstr ctermid dirfd execv faccessat fchmod fchmodat fchown fchownat \
+ clock confstr ctermid execv faccessat fchmod fchmodat fchown fchownat \
  fexecve fdopendir fork fpathconf fstatat ftime ftruncate futimesat \
  futimens futimes gai_strerror \
  getgrouplist getgroups getlogin getloadavg getpeername getpgid getpid \
@@ -2584,6 +2584,12 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(alarm accept4 setitimer getitimer bind_textdomain_codeset chown \
  truncate uname unlinkat unsetenv utimensat utimes waitid waitpid wait3 wait4 \
  wcscoll wcsftime wcsxfrm writev _getpty)
 
+AC_CHECK_DECL(dirfd,
+    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_DIRFD, 1,
+              Define if you have the 'dirfd' function or macro.), ,
+      [#include <sys/types.h>
+       #include <dirent.h>])
+
 # For some functions, having a definition is not sufficient, since
 # we want to take their address.
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for chroot)
diff --git a/pyconfig.h.in b/pyconfig.h.in
index 7068132be31..fd4cfc71517 100644
--- a/pyconfig.h.in
+++ b/pyconfig.h.in
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
    */
 #undef HAVE_DIRENT_H
 
-/* Define to 1 if you have the `dirfd' function. */
+/* Define if you have the 'dirfd' function or macro. */
 #undef HAVE_DIRFD
 
 /* Define to 1 if you have the <dlfcn.h> header file. */