diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 0690e97b142..81862372f7d 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -4157,7 +4157,7 @@ then
 		ac_sys_system=Linux
 		;;
 	*-*-cygwin*)
-		ac_sys_system=Cygwin
+		ac_sys_system=CYGWIN
 		;;
 	*-apple-ios*)
 		ac_sys_system=iOS
@@ -7848,7 +7848,7 @@ else # shared is disabled
   case $ac_sys_system in
     CYGWIN*)
       BLDLIBRARY='$(LIBRARY)'
-      LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).dll.a'
+      LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).a'
       ;;
   esac
 fi
@@ -14232,8 +14232,8 @@ then :
 
 fi;;
 	CYGWIN*)
-		LDSHARED="gcc -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base"
-		LDCXXSHARED="g++ -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base";;
+		LDSHARED='$(CC) -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base'
+		LDCXXSHARED='$(CXX) -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base';;
 	*)	LDSHARED="ld";;
 	esac
 fi
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f2fca52c8f3..c8dce3fd49b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ then
 		ac_sys_system=Linux
 		;;
 	*-*-cygwin*)
-		ac_sys_system=Cygwin
+		ac_sys_system=CYGWIN
 		;;
 	*-apple-ios*)
 		ac_sys_system=iOS
@@ -1650,7 +1650,7 @@ else # shared is disabled
   case $ac_sys_system in
     CYGWIN*)
       BLDLIBRARY='$(LIBRARY)'
-      LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).dll.a'
+      LDLIBRARY='libpython$(LDVERSION).a'
       ;;
   esac
 fi
@@ -3694,8 +3694,8 @@ then
 			dnl not implemented yet
 		]);;
 	CYGWIN*)
-		LDSHARED="gcc -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base"
-		LDCXXSHARED="g++ -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base";;
+		LDSHARED='$(CC) -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base'
+		LDCXXSHARED='$(CXX) -shared -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base';;
 	*)	LDSHARED="ld";;
 	esac
 fi