diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 842918f0f..24300ba1b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1366,8 +1366,8 @@ case "$with_threads" in
 
     AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT needs braces],
       [guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_once_init],
-      [AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([#include <pthread.h>
-         pthread_once_t foo = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;],
+      [AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <pthread.h>
+         pthread_once_t foo = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;]])],
         [guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_once_init=no],
         [guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_once_init=yes])])
     if test "$guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_once_init" = yes; then
@@ -1378,8 +1378,8 @@ case "$with_threads" in
     # 6.5.30m with GCC 3.3.
     AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER needs braces],
       [guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_mutex_initializer],
-      [AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([#include <pthread.h>
-         pthread_mutex_t foo = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;],
+      [AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <pthread.h>
+         pthread_mutex_t foo = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;]])],
         [guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_mutex_initializer=no],
         [guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_mutex_initializer=yes])])
     if test "$guile_cv_need_braces_on_pthread_mutex_initializer" = yes; then