diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 09bbf7cf..895983b4 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ export objcopy         := @OBJCOPY@
 export objdump         := @OBJDUMP@
 export readelf         := @READELF@
 export patch           := @PATCH@
+export gperf           := @GPERF@
 export CC              := @CC@
 export CPP             := @CPP@
 export CPPFLAGS        := @CPPFLAGS@
@@ -212,6 +213,7 @@ paths.mk: FORCE
 	  echo 'export objdump=$(objdump)';         \
 	  echo 'export readelf=$(readelf)';         \
 	  echo 'export patch=$(patch)';             \
+	  echo 'export gperf=$(gperf)';             \
 	 ) >$@
 
 paths.sh: FORCE
@@ -228,6 +230,7 @@ paths.sh: FORCE
 	  echo 'export objdump="$(objdump)"';       \
 	  echo 'export readelf="$(readelf)"';       \
 	  echo 'export patch="$(patch)"';           \
+	  echo 'export gperf="$(gperf)"';           \
 	 ) >$@
 
 config/configure.in: FORCE
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 719d3cb8..df3f9dd8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -143,15 +143,19 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([readelf],
     AS_HELP_STRING([--with-readelf=PATH],
                    [Specify the full PATH to GNU readelf]),
     [READELF=$withval])
+AC_ARG_WITH([gperf],
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--with-gperf=PATH],
+                   [Specify the full PATH to GNU gperf]),
+    [GPERF=$withval])
 
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
 ACX_PATH_TOOL_REQ([OBJCOPY], [objcopy])
 ACX_PATH_TOOL_REQ([OBJDUMP], [objdump])
 ACX_PATH_TOOL_REQ([READELF], [readelf])
+ACX_PATH_TOOL_REQ([GPERF], [gperf])
 
 ACX_CHECK_PROGS_REQ([bison], [bison])
 ACX_CHECK_PROGS_REQ([flex], [flex])
-ACX_CHECK_PROGS_REQ([gperf], [gperf])
 ACX_CHECK_PROGS_REQ([makeinfo], [makeinfo])
 ACX_CHECK_PROGS_REQ([cut], [cut])
 ACX_CHECK_PROGS_REQ([stat], [stat])
diff --git a/kconfig/Makefile b/kconfig/Makefile
index 93b3fe60..f7db96a6 100644
--- a/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ zconf.tab.c: zconf.y
 
 zconf.hash.c: zconf.gperf
 	@echo "  GPERF  '$@'"
-	@gperf < $< > $@
+	@$(gperf) < $< > $@
 
 lex.zconf.c: zconf.l
 	@echo "  LEX    '$@'"