diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1bb55ff3ea9..7b91f914d4a 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -14030,7 +14030,7 @@ LDVERSION='$(VERSION)$(ABIFLAGS)'
 $as_echo "$LDVERSION" >&6; }
 
 
-LIBPL="${prefix}/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
+LIBPL='$(prefix)'"/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
 
 
 # Check whether right shifting a negative integer extends the sign bit
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d06d7742fba..3394d84ca3c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4115,7 +4115,7 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT($LDVERSION)
 
 dnl define LIBPL after ABIFLAGS and LDVERSION is defined.
 AC_SUBST(PY_ENABLE_SHARED)
-LIBPL="${prefix}/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
+LIBPL='$(prefix)'"/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
 AC_SUBST(LIBPL)
 
 # Check whether right shifting a negative integer extends the sign bit