diff --git a/src/common/autoconfig.h.in b/src/common/autoconfig.h.in
index 15fc12e1..c701088d 100644
--- a/src/common/autoconfig.h.in
+++ b/src/common/autoconfig.h.in
@@ -24,3 +24,5 @@
 /* iconv parameter 2 is const char** */
 #undef RCL_ICONV_INBUF_CONST
 
+/* putenv parameter is const */
+#undef PUTENV_ARG_CONST
diff --git a/src/configure b/src/configure
index 8fa0c57a..c7105c54 100755
--- a/src/configure
+++ b/src/configure
@@ -2341,6 +2341,66 @@ _ACEOF
 
 fi
 
+
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for type of string parameter to putenv" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for type of string parameter to putenv... $ECHO_C" >&6
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+
+    #include <stdlib.h>
+
+int
+main ()
+{
+
+    putenv((const char *)0);
+
+  ;
+  return 0;
+}
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext
+if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_compile\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_compile) 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -z "$ac_cxx_werror_flag"
+			 || test ! -s conftest.err'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; } &&
+	 { ac_try='test -s conftest.$ac_objext'
+  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
+  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); }; }; then
+  rcl_putenv_string_const="1"
+else
+  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+rcl_putenv_string_const="0"
+fi
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+if test X$rcl_putenv_string_const = X1 ; then
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<\_ACEOF
+#define PUTENV_ARG_CONST 1
+_ACEOF
+
+fi
+
 #### Look for Xapian
 # Extract the first word of "xapian-config", so it can be a program name with args.
 set dummy xapian-config; ac_word=$2
diff --git a/src/configure.ac b/src/configure.ac
index af4c6fb3..2f401da5 100644
--- a/src/configure.ac
+++ b/src/configure.ac
@@ -155,6 +155,17 @@ if test X$rcl_iconv_inbuf_const = X1 ; then
   AC_DEFINE(RCL_ICONV_INBUF_CONST, 1, [iconv parameter 2 is const char**])
 fi
 
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for type of string parameter to putenv)
+AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+    #include <stdlib.h>
+  ],[
+    putenv((const char *)0);
+  ], rcl_putenv_string_const="1", rcl_putenv_string_const="0")
+if test X$rcl_putenv_string_const = X1 ; then
+  AC_DEFINE(PUTENV_ARG_CONST, 1, [putenv parameter is const])
+fi
+
 #### Look for Xapian
 AC_PATH_PROG(XAPIAN_CONFIG, xapian-config, no)
 if test "$XAPIAN_CONFIG" = "no" ; then
diff --git a/src/mk/AIX b/src/mk/AIX
index c94c1795..2302a01b 100644
--- a/src/mk/AIX
+++ b/src/mk/AIX
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 include $(depth)/mk/commondefs
 include $(depth)/mk/localdefs
 
-ALL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(COMMONCXXFLAGS) $(LOCALCXXFLAGS) \
-         -DPUTENV_ARG_NOT_CONST 
+ALL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(COMMONCXXFLAGS) $(LOCALCXXFLAGS) 
 
 CC = gcc
 CXX = g++
diff --git a/src/mk/Darwin b/src/mk/Darwin
index 49f5cd46..05512b83 100644
--- a/src/mk/Darwin
+++ b/src/mk/Darwin
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ include $(depth)/mk/commondefs
 include $(depth)/mk/localdefs
 
 ALL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(COMMONCXXFLAGS) $(LOCALCXXFLAGS) \
-           -DPUTENV_ARG_NOT_CONST \
 	   -DHAVE_VASPRINTF=1 \
 	   -DHAVE_MKDTEMP=1 \
 	   -DSTATFS_INCLUDE="<sys/mount.h>"
diff --git a/src/mk/Linux b/src/mk/Linux
index 02b650c0..3457d9e5 100644
--- a/src/mk/Linux
+++ b/src/mk/Linux
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ include $(depth)/mk/localdefs
 
 ALL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(COMMONCXXFLAGS) $(LOCALCXXFLAGS) \
 	 -D_GNU_SOURCE \
-         -DPUTENV_ARG_NOT_CONST \
 	 -DHAVE_VASPRINTF=1 \
 	 -DHAVE_MKDTEMP=1
 
diff --git a/src/mk/SunOS b/src/mk/SunOS
index 71f143bf..784c0960 100644
--- a/src/mk/SunOS
+++ b/src/mk/SunOS
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 include $(depth)/mk/commondefs
 include $(depth)/mk/localdefs
 
-ALL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(COMMONCXXFLAGS) $(LOCALCXXFLAGS) \
-         -DPUTENV_ARG_NOT_CONST 
+ALL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(COMMONCXXFLAGS) $(LOCALCXXFLAGS) 
 
 CC = gcc
 CXX = g++
diff --git a/src/utils/execmd.cpp b/src/utils/execmd.cpp
index 4333603f..3b8df3ff 100644
--- a/src/utils/execmd.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/execmd.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: execmd.cpp,v 1.24 2007-05-23 08:28:35 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: execmd.cpp,v 1.25 2007-07-14 16:53:00 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
 /*
  *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: execmd.cpp,v 1.24 2007-05-23 08:28:35 dockes Exp
  *   59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
  */
 #ifndef TEST_EXECMD
+#include "autoconfig.h"
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: execmd.cpp,v 1.24 2007-05-23 08:28:35 dockes Exp
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 
-#ifdef PUTENV_ARG_NOT_CONST
+#if !defined(PUTENV_ARG_CONST)
 #include <string.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -360,10 +363,10 @@ int ExecCmd::doexec(const string &cmd, const list<string>& args,
 
 	for (vector<string>::const_iterator it = m_env.begin(); 
 	     it != m_env.end(); it++) {
-#ifdef PUTENV_ARG_NOT_CONST
-	    ::putenv(strdup(it->c_str()));
-#else
+#ifdef PUTENV_ARG_CONST
 	    ::putenv(it->c_str());
+#else
+	    ::putenv(strdup(it->c_str()));
 #endif
 	}
 	execvp(cmd.c_str(), (char *const*)argv);