--- a/configure.in	
+++ a/configure.in	
@@ -974,20 +974,37 @@ AC_SUBST(UNIVERSAL_ARCH_FLAGS)
 # tweak BASECFLAGS based on compiler and platform
 case $GCC in
 yes)
-    # Python violates C99 rules, by casting between incompatible
-    # pointer types. GCC may generate bad code as a result of that,
-    # so use -fno-strict-aliasing if supported.
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether $CC accepts -fno-strict-aliasing)
+    # Python doesn't violate C99 aliasing rules, but older versions of
+    # GCC produce warnings for legal Python code.  Enable
+    # -fno-strict-aliasing on versions of GCC that support but produce
+    # warnings.  See Issue3326
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether $CC accepts and needs -fno-strict-aliasing)
      ac_save_cc="$CC"
      CC="$CC -fno-strict-aliasing"
-     AC_CACHE_VAL(ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing_ok,
+     save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
+     AC_CACHE_VAL(ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing,
        AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
-         [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[]], [[]])],
-	 [ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing_ok=yes],
-	 [ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing_ok=no]))
+         [
+	   AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[]], [[]])
+	 ],[
+	   CC="$ac_save_cc -fstrict-aliasing"
+           CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Werror -Wstrict-aliasing"
+           AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
+	     [
+	       AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[void f(int **x) {}]],
+	         [[double *x; f((int **) &x);]])
+	     ],[
+	       ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing=no
+	     ],[
+               ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing=yes
+	     ])
+	 ],[
+	   ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing=no
+	 ]))
+     CFLAGS="$save_CFLAGS"
      CC="$ac_save_cc"
-    AC_MSG_RESULT($ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing_ok)
-    if test $ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing_ok = yes
+    AC_MSG_RESULT($ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing)
+    if test $ac_cv_no_strict_aliasing = yes
     then
       BASECFLAGS="$BASECFLAGS -fno-strict-aliasing"
     fi