diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index bccd7f66e63..c74107622a5 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -223,6 +223,12 @@ Documentation
 - Issue #6696: add documentation for the Profile objects, and improve
   profile/cProfile docs.  Patch by Tom Pinckney.
 
+Build
+-----
+
+- Issue #17547: In configure, explicitly pass -Wformat for the benefit for GCC
+  4.8.
+
 
 What's New in Python 3.3.1?
 ===========================
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index d3214abb8ca..ffa089ca54c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6525,7 +6525,7 @@ then
   { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether gcc supports ParseTuple __format__" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking whether gcc supports ParseTuple __format__... " >&6; }
   save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
-  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Werror"
+  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Werror -Wformat"
   cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
 /* end confdefs.h.  */
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6d54b162c90..9179fe64de4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1331,7 +1331,7 @@ if test "$GCC" = "yes"
 then
   AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether gcc supports ParseTuple __format__)
   save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
-  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Werror"
+  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Werror -Wformat"
   AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([
     AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[void f(char*,...)__attribute((format(PyArg_ParseTuple, 1, 2)));]], [[]])
   ],[
diff --git a/pyconfig.h.in b/pyconfig.h.in
index 10e2c91dc5d..cbbc42d99f5 100644
--- a/pyconfig.h.in
+++ b/pyconfig.h.in
@@ -1187,9 +1187,6 @@
 /* Define if setpgrp() must be called as setpgrp(0, 0). */
 #undef SETPGRP_HAVE_ARG
 
-/* Define this to be extension of shared libraries (including the dot!). */
-#undef SHLIB_EXT
-
 /* Define if i>>j for signed int i does not extend the sign bit when i < 0 */
 #undef SIGNED_RIGHT_SHIFT_ZERO_FILLS