diff --git a/lib/ChangeLog b/lib/ChangeLog
index 91b3355ff9..5abb7c810c 100644
--- a/lib/ChangeLog
+++ b/lib/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2003-06-24  Jean-Marc Lasgouttes  <lasgouttes@lyx.org>
+
+	* configure.m4: add some code to workaround zsh incompatibilities
+	(bug 977)
+
 2003-04-15  Rod Pinna   <rodney.pinna@uwa.edu.au>
 
 	* layouts/elsart.layout: added "Proof" environment 
diff --git a/lib/configure.m4 b/lib/configure.m4
index f2aaf72bb9..1a25ca5b72 100644
--- a/lib/configure.m4
+++ b/lib/configure.m4
@@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ changequote(,)dnl
 dnl ######### End M4 macros #############################################
 
 
+# Be Bourne compatible (taken from autoconf 2.53)
+if test -n "${ZSH_VERSION+set}" && (emulate sh) >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  emulate sh
+  NULLCMD=:
+elif test -n "${BASH_VERSION+set}" && (set -o posix) >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  set -o posix
+fi
+
+
+
 ####some configuration variables
 outfile=lyxrc.defaults
 rc_entries=