diff --git a/scripts/configure.in b/scripts/configure.in
index 7f76db27..f671a52a 100644
--- a/scripts/configure.in
+++ b/scripts/configure.in
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ AC_PROG_CXX
 AC_ISC_POSIX
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
+AC_PROG_SED
 
 dnl check if the linker is a GNU linker
 
diff --git a/scripts/defs.mak.in b/scripts/defs.mak.in
index 459463ee..bf061a82 100755
--- a/scripts/defs.mak.in
+++ b/scripts/defs.mak.in
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ ARFLAGS                = cr
 LINK                   = @LD@ -r
 LD                     = @LD@
 MKDIR                  = mkdir
-SED                    = sed
+SED                    = @SED@
 MCPP		       = @MCPP@
 MSED		       = @MSED@
 RANLIB                 = @RANLIB@