diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 3819732ca0..fc37715cd0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -29704,7 +29704,8 @@ $as_echo "$as_me: using LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS" >&6;}
 
 # Create compiler version string
 if test x"$GCC" = x"yes" ; then
-  cc_string="GCC `${CC} --version | sed q`"
+  cc_string=`${CC} --version | sed q`
+  case $cc_string in [A-Za-z]*) ;; *) cc_string="GCC $cc_string";; esac
 elif test x"$SUN_STUDIO_CC" = x"yes" ; then
   cc_string=`${CC} -V 2>&1 | sed q`
 else
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index fa6d9e5d7c..0a85a05641 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1849,7 +1849,8 @@ AC_MSG_NOTICE([using LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS])
 
 # Create compiler version string
 if test x"$GCC" = x"yes" ; then
-  cc_string="GCC `${CC} --version | sed q`"
+  cc_string=`${CC} --version | sed q`
+  case $cc_string in [[A-Za-z]]*) ;; *) cc_string="GCC $cc_string";; esac
 elif test x"$SUN_STUDIO_CC" = x"yes" ; then
   cc_string=`${CC} -V 2>&1 | sed q`
 else