diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index abd03bf0a..a6dd60a80 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2007-02-03  Thomas Schwinge  <tschwinge@gnu.org>
+
+	* aclocal.m4 (grub_CHECK_STACK_PROTECTOR): New definition.
+	* configure.ac: Use it for testing the HOST and TARGET compilers.
+
 2006-12-13  Thomas Schwinge  <tschwinge@gnu.org>
 
 	* Makefile.in (enable_grub_emu): New variable.
diff --git a/aclocal.m4 b/aclocal.m4
index a032c2aad..706c3ef21 100644
--- a/aclocal.m4
+++ b/aclocal.m4
@@ -343,3 +343,22 @@ dnl So use regparm 2 until a better test is found.
 	[Catch gcc bug])
 fi
 ])
+
+dnl Check if the C compiler supports `-fstack-protector'.
+AC_DEFUN(grub_CHECK_STACK_PROTECTOR,[
+[# Smashing stack protector.
+ssp_possible=yes]
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether `$CC' accepts `-fstack-protector'])
+# Is this a reliable test case?
+AC_LANG_CONFTEST([[void foo (void) { volatile char a[8]; a[3]; }]])
+[# `$CC -c -o ...' might not be portable.  But, oh, well...  Is calling
+# `ac_compile' like this correct, after all?
+if eval "$ac_compile -S -fstack-protector -o conftest.s" 2> /dev/null; then]
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+  [# Should we clear up other files as well, having called `AC_LANG_CONFTEST'?
+  rm -f conftest.s
+else
+  ssp_possible=no]
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+[fi]
+])
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ba205b501..1c0bbfee5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -148,6 +148,19 @@ fi
 # Check for functions.
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(posix_memalign memalign)
 
+#
+# Compiler features.
+#
+
+# Smashing stack protector.
+grub_CHECK_STACK_PROTECTOR
+[# Need that, because some distributions ship compilers that include
+# `-fstack-protector' in the default specs.
+if [ x"$ssp_possible" = xyes ]; then
+  CFLAGS=$CFLAGS\ -fno-stack-protector
+fi]
+
+
 #
 # Check for target programs.
 #
@@ -225,6 +238,18 @@ if test "x$target_m32" = x1; then
   TARGET_LDFLAGS="$TARGET_LDFLAGS -m32"
 fi
 
+#
+# Compiler features.
+#
+
+# Smashing stack protector.
+grub_CHECK_STACK_PROTECTOR
+[# Need that, because some distributions ship compilers that include
+# `-fstack-protector' in the default specs.
+if [ x"$ssp_possible" = xyes ]; then
+  TARGET_CFLAGS=$TARGET_CFLAGS\ -fno-stack-protector
+fi]
+
 AC_SUBST(TARGET_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(TARGET_CPPFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(TARGET_LDFLAGS)