diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 45eb7c68e8..7a9acaa06f 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ OS_DEST_FILE  = $@
 
 MESSAGE_BEGIN = @for line in
 MESSAGE_END = ; do echo "$$line"; done
+ECHO_BEGIN = @sep=''; for word in
+ECHO_END = ; do echo @ECHO_N@ "$$sep'$$word'@ECHO_C@"; sep=' '; done; echo
 
 configure_args = @configure_args@
 #### End of variables
diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 531ba26daa..3d9c2d8a7c 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -162,9 +162,9 @@ showflags:
 
 .PHONY: showconfig
 showconfig:
-	@$(MESSAGE_BEGIN) \
-	"$(configure_args)" \
-	$(MESSAGE_END)
+	@$(ECHO_BEGIN) \
+	$(configure_args) \
+	$(ECHO_END)
 
 exts: build-ext
 
diff --git a/win32/Makefile.sub b/win32/Makefile.sub
index 5ac8ca1ea4..564c441017 100644
--- a/win32/Makefile.sub
+++ b/win32/Makefile.sub
@@ -373,6 +373,8 @@ ruby_pc = $(RUBY_BASE_NAME)-$(MAJOR).$(MINOR).pc
 
 MESSAGE_BEGIN = @for %I in (
 MESSAGE_END = ) do @echo.%~I
+ECHO_BEGIN = @echo.
+ECHO_END =
 
 all: $(srcdir)/win32/Makefile.sub $(win_srcdir)/Makefile.sub $(srcdir)/common.mk