diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index da3ef9884d4f..f3192caef2e5 100644
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ def config_status(config):
     with codecs.open('config.status', 'w', encoding) as fh:
         fh.write('#!%s\n' % config['PYTHON'])
         fh.write('# coding=%s\n' % encoding)
+        # Because we're serializing as JSON but reading as python, the values
+        # for True, False and None are true, false and null, which don't exist.
+        # Define them.
+        fh.write('true, false, null = True, False, None\n')
         for k, v in sanitized_config.iteritems():
             fh.write('%s = ' % k)
             json.dump(v, fh, sort_keys=True, indent=4, ensure_ascii=False)