diff --git a/configure b/configure
index e87495c42d9..d7f4313a8cb 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -7861,6 +7861,9 @@ rm -rf conftest*
   fi
 fi
 
+test "$ac_cv_sys_file_offset_bits" = 64 &&
+printf "%s\n" "#define _TIME_BITS 64" >>confdefs.h
+
 
 ac_header= ac_cache=
 for ac_item in $ac_header_c_list
@@ -10105,9 +10108,6 @@ fi
 
 printf "%s\n" "#define _GNU_SOURCE 1" >>confdefs.h
 
-    test "$ac_cv_sys_file_offset_bits" = 64 &&
-printf "%s\n" "#define _TIME_BITS 64" >>confdefs.h
-
     if test $HOST_ARCH = i386
     then
         DLLFLAGS="$DLLFLAGS -fno-PIC"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ba1be1bf9d3..57f64ebffc3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ AC_SUBST(OPENGL_LIBS,"")
 dnl **** Check for header files ****
 
 AC_SYS_LARGEFILE()
+m4_ifdef([AC_SYS_YEAR2038],[AC_SYS_YEAR2038()],[test "$ac_cv_sys_file_offset_bits" = 64 && AC_DEFINE(_TIME_BITS,64,[Define to 64 to enable 64-bit time_t])])
 
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS(\
 	CL/cl.h \
@@ -754,7 +755,6 @@ case $host_os in
 
   *)
     AC_DEFINE(_GNU_SOURCE,1,[Define to 1 to enable GNU extensions on Linux])
-    test "$ac_cv_sys_file_offset_bits" = 64 && AC_DEFINE(_TIME_BITS,64,[Define to 64 to enable 64-bit time_t on Linux])
     if test $HOST_ARCH = i386
     then
         DLLFLAGS="$DLLFLAGS -fno-PIC"
diff --git a/include/config.h.in b/include/config.h.in
index cda76fcfe2e..a910b2c85f1 100644
--- a/include/config.h.in
+++ b/include/config.h.in
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@
 /* Define for large files, on AIX-style hosts. */
 #undef _LARGE_FILES
 
-/* Define to 64 to enable 64-bit time_t on Linux */
+/* Define to 64 to enable 64-bit time_t */
 #undef _TIME_BITS
 
 /* Define to `__inline__' or `__inline' if that's what the C compiler