diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/support.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/support.py
index 71ad4f42b2c..7385c6bbf67 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/support.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/support.py
@@ -207,4 +207,4 @@ def fixup_build_ext(cmd):
                 cmd.library_dirs = []
             else:
                 name, equals, value = runshared.partition('=')
-                cmd.library_dirs = value.split(os.pathsep)
+                cmd.library_dirs = [d for d in value.split(os.pathsep) if d]
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index d9897f132d7..9e9f2c23f68 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -403,6 +403,8 @@ Documentation
 Tests
 -----
 
+- Issue #17752: Fix distutils tests when run from the installed location.
+
 - Issue #18604: Consolidated checks for GUI availability.  All platforms now
   at least check whether Tk can be instantiated when the GUI resource is
   requested.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a22e78ff223..c46fc267beb 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5606,7 +5606,7 @@ $as_echo_n "checking LDLIBRARY... " >&6; }
 if test "$enable_framework"
 then
   LDLIBRARY='$(PYTHONFRAMEWORKDIR)/Versions/$(VERSION)/$(PYTHONFRAMEWORK)'
-  RUNSHARED=DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH="`pwd`:$DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH"
+  RUNSHARED=DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH=`pwd`${DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH:+:${DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH}}
   BLDLIBRARY=''
 else
   BLDLIBRARY='$(LDLIBRARY)'
@@ -5626,7 +5626,7 @@ $as_echo "#define Py_ENABLE_SHARED 1" >>confdefs.h
     SunOS*)
 	  LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).so'
 	  BLDLIBRARY='-Wl,-R,$(LIBDIR) -L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
+	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}}
 	  INSTSONAME="$LDLIBRARY".$SOVERSION
 	  if test "$with_pydebug" != yes
 	  then
@@ -5636,7 +5636,7 @@ $as_echo "#define Py_ENABLE_SHARED 1" >>confdefs.h
     Linux*|GNU*|NetBSD*|FreeBSD*|DragonFly*|OpenBSD*)
 	  LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).so'
 	  BLDLIBRARY='-L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
+	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}}
 	  case $ac_sys_system in
 	      FreeBSD*)
 		SOVERSION=`echo $SOVERSION|cut -d "." -f 1`
@@ -5658,16 +5658,16 @@ $as_echo "#define Py_ENABLE_SHARED 1" >>confdefs.h
 			;;
 	  esac
 	  BLDLIBRARY='-Wl,+b,$(LIBDIR) -L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	  RUNSHARED=SHLIB_PATH=`pwd`:${SHLIB_PATH}
+	  RUNSHARED=SHLIB_PATH=`pwd`${SHLIB_PATH:+:${SHLIB_PATH}}
 	  ;;
     Darwin*)
     	LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib'
 	BLDLIBRARY='-L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	RUNSHARED='DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`:${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH}'
+	RUNSHARED=DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH}}
 	;;
     AIX*)
 	LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).so'
-	RUNSHARED=LIBPATH=`pwd`:${LIBPATH}
+	RUNSHARED=LIBPATH=`pwd`${LIBPATH:+:${LIBPATH}}
 	;;
 
   esac
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b470ce42baa..b2f519f5fa7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ AC_MSG_CHECKING(LDLIBRARY)
 if test "$enable_framework"
 then
   LDLIBRARY='$(PYTHONFRAMEWORKDIR)/Versions/$(VERSION)/$(PYTHONFRAMEWORK)'
-  RUNSHARED=DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH="`pwd`:$DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH"
+  RUNSHARED=DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH=`pwd`${DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH:+:${DYLD_FRAMEWORK_PATH}}
   BLDLIBRARY=''
 else
   BLDLIBRARY='$(LDLIBRARY)'
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ if test $enable_shared = "yes"; then
     SunOS*)
 	  LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).so'
 	  BLDLIBRARY='-Wl,-R,$(LIBDIR) -L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
+	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}}
 	  INSTSONAME="$LDLIBRARY".$SOVERSION
 	  if test "$with_pydebug" != yes
 	  then
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ if test $enable_shared = "yes"; then
     Linux*|GNU*|NetBSD*|FreeBSD*|DragonFly*|OpenBSD*)
 	  LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).so'
 	  BLDLIBRARY='-L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
+	  RUNSHARED=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}}
 	  case $ac_sys_system in
 	      FreeBSD*)
 		SOVERSION=`echo $SOVERSION|cut -d "." -f 1`
@@ -978,16 +978,16 @@ if test $enable_shared = "yes"; then
 			;;
 	  esac
 	  BLDLIBRARY='-Wl,+b,$(LIBDIR) -L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	  RUNSHARED=SHLIB_PATH=`pwd`:${SHLIB_PATH}
+	  RUNSHARED=SHLIB_PATH=`pwd`${SHLIB_PATH:+:${SHLIB_PATH}}
 	  ;;
     Darwin*)
     	LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib'
 	BLDLIBRARY='-L. -lpython$(LDVERSION)'
-	RUNSHARED='DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`:${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH}'
+	RUNSHARED=DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=`pwd`${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH}}
 	;;
     AIX*)
 	LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).so'
-	RUNSHARED=LIBPATH=`pwd`:${LIBPATH}
+	RUNSHARED=LIBPATH=`pwd`${LIBPATH:+:${LIBPATH}}
 	;;
 
   esac