diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 95c53ab..b259c51 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -7232,6 +7232,12 @@ sed 'h;s/./-/g;s/^.../## /;s/...$/ ##/;p;x;p;x' <<_ASBOX
 ## showing result of test '$t': $test_result ##
 _ASBOX
 
+# Strip leading space. Note the mandatory use of double quadrigraphs
+# to specify the character class to sed(1). We can't use literal
+# square brackets as autoconf(1)/m4(1) get upset.
+CFLAGS=$(echo "$CFLAGS" | sed 's/^[[:space:]]*//')
+LDFLAGS=$(echo "$LDFLAGS" | sed 's/^[[:space:]]*//')
+
 ac_config_files="$ac_config_files Makefile src/Makefile procenv.spec"
 
 cat >confcache <<\_ACEOF
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bb2cd41..dc9db54 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -229,6 +229,12 @@ AS_BOX($msg)
 AS_IF([$t], [test_result=pass], [test_result=fail])
 AS_BOX([showing result of test '$t': $test_result])
 
+# Strip leading space. Note the mandatory use of double quadrigraphs
+# to specify the character class to sed(1). We can't use literal
+# square brackets as autoconf(1)/m4(1) get upset.
+CFLAGS=$(echo "$CFLAGS" | sed 's/^@<:@@<:@:space:@:>@@:>@*//')
+LDFLAGS=$(echo "$LDFLAGS" | sed 's/^@<:@@<:@:space:@:>@@:>@*//')
+
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile src/Makefile procenv.spec])
 AC_OUTPUT
 AC_MSG_RESULT([