diff --git a/autoconf/configure.ac b/autoconf/configure.ac
index 8471209e..efc1671d 100644
--- a/autoconf/configure.ac
+++ b/autoconf/configure.ac
@@ -188,6 +188,21 @@ dnl look for programs we need to compile and run
 AC_PROG_AWK
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_CXX
+AC_DEFUN([AX_GCC_VERSION], [
+  GCC_VERSION=""
+  AS_IF([test "x$GCC" = "xyes"],[
+    AS_IF([test "x$ax_gcc_version_option" != "xno"],[
+      AC_CACHE_CHECK([gcc version],[ax_cv_gcc_version],[
+        ax_cv_gcc_version="`$CC -dumpversion`"
+        AS_IF([test "x$ax_cv_gcc_version" = "x"],[
+          ax_cv_gcc_version=""
+        ])
+      ])
+      GCC_VERSION=$ax_cv_gcc_version
+    ])
+  ])
+  AC_SUBST([GCC_VERSION])
+])
 AX_GCC_VERSION
 dnl if the compiler is gcc, test for gcc >= 4.8
 AS_IF([test "x$GCC_VERSION" = "x"],[],