diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
index 35ca1a8684..879129bd14 100644
--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ BUILDPYTHON=	python$(BUILDEXE)
 PYTHON_FOR_REGEN=@PYTHON_FOR_REGEN@
 UPDATE_FILE=@PYTHON_FOR_REGEN@ $(srcdir)/Tools/scripts/update_file.py
 PYTHON_FOR_BUILD=@PYTHON_FOR_BUILD@
+EPYTHON_FOR_BUILD=@EPYTHON_FOR_BUILD@
 _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=@_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM@
 BUILD_GNU_TYPE=	@build@
 HOST_GNU_TYPE=	@host@
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index b769d59629..4141fb446d 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -747,6 +747,7 @@ CONFIG_ARGS
 SOVERSION
 VERSION
 PYTHON_FOR_BUILD
+EPYTHON_FOR_BUILD
 PYTHON_FOR_REGEN
 host_os
 host_vendor
@@ -2932,7 +2933,7 @@ $as_echo_n "checking for python interpreter for cross build... " >&6; }
 	fi
         { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $interp" >&5
 $as_echo "$interp" >&6; }
-	PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '$interp
+	PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '${EPYTHON_FOR_BUILD:-${interp}}
     fi
 elif test "$cross_compiling" = maybe; then
     as_fn_error $? "Cross compiling required --host=HOST-TUPLE and --build=ARCH" "$LINENO" 5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 49acff3136..599024530e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
 	    AC_MSG_ERROR([python$PACKAGE_VERSION interpreter not found])
 	fi
         AC_MSG_RESULT($interp)
-	PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '$interp
+	PYTHON_FOR_BUILD='_PYTHON_PROJECT_BASE=$(abs_builddir) _PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM=$(_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM) PYTHONPATH=$(shell test -f pybuilddir.txt && echo $(abs_builddir)/`cat pybuilddir.txt`:)$(srcdir)/Lib _PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME=_sysconfigdata_$(ABIFLAGS)_$(MACHDEP)_$(MULTIARCH) '${EPYTHON_FOR_BUILD:-${interp}}
     fi
 elif test "$cross_compiling" = maybe; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([Cross compiling required --host=HOST-TUPLE and --build=ARCH])