diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6528970cc2444ffc87667da53eb0466966c9d5f7..9b054f1295b0b23b25c0fe85cc9200c45b1aa328 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -13649,6 +13649,40 @@ then
 fi
 
 
+case $host_cpu in
+  *alpha* )
+    echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking whether we need to define __ALPHA__" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking whether we need to define __ALPHA__... $ECHO_C" >&6
+if test "${ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+#line $LINENO "configure"
+#include "confdefs.h"
+#ifndef __ALPHA__
+yes
+#endif
+_ACEOF
+if (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>&5 |
+  $EGREP "yes" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha="yes"
+else
+  ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha="no"
+fi
+rm -f conftest*
+
+fi
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha" >&6
+    ;;
+esac
+if test "$ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha" = "yes"
+then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -D__ALPHA__"
+    LINTFLAGS="$LINTFLAGS -D__ALPHA__"
+fi
+
+
 case $host_cpu in
   *sparc* )
     echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking whether we need to define __sparc__" >&5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f446767f854684cad4cafb13d4763caae9e96763..7eef841afff2e86aff5de5f5ead2552ff7f4de6e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1309,6 +1309,23 @@ then
     LINTFLAGS="$LINTFLAGS -D__i386__"
 fi
 
+dnl *** check for the need to define __ALPHA__
+
+case $host_cpu in
+  *alpha* )
+    AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether we need to define __ALPHA__],ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha,
+      AC_EGREP_CPP(yes,[#ifndef __ALPHA__
+yes
+#endif],
+ ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha="yes", ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha="no"))
+    ;;
+esac
+if test "$ac_cv_cpp_def_alpha" = "yes"
+then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -D__ALPHA__"
+    LINTFLAGS="$LINTFLAGS -D__ALPHA__"
+fi
+
 dnl *** check for the need to define __sparc__
 
 case $host_cpu in