diff --git a/configure b/configure
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -790,6 +790,7 @@
 enable_shared
 enable_profiling
 with_pydebug
+with_stdc89
 with_libs
 with_system_expat
 with_system_ffi
@@ -1461,6 +1462,7 @@
                           compiler
   --with-suffix=.exe      set executable suffix
   --with-pydebug          build with Py_DEBUG defined
+  --with-stdc89           enforce C89 compatible compiler
   --with-libs='lib1 ...'  link against additional libs
   --with-system-expat     build pyexpat module using an installed expat
                           library
@@ -6195,6 +6197,29 @@
 fi
 
 
+# Check for --with-stdc89
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for --with-stdc89" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for --with-stdc89... " >&6; }
+
+# Check whether --with-stdc89 was given.
+if test "${with_stdc89+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_stdc89;
+if test "$withval" != no
+then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; };
+  with_stdc89='true'
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; };
+  with_stdc89='false'
+fi
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
 # XXX Shouldn't the code above that fiddles with BASECFLAGS and OPT be
 # merged with this chunk of code?
 
@@ -6334,6 +6359,11 @@
       BASECFLAGS="$BASECFLAGS -fno-strict-aliasing"
     fi
 
+    # --with-stdc89 option
+    if test "$with_stdc89" = 'true' ; then
+        BASECFLAGS="-std=c89 $BASECFLAGS"
+    fi
+
     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking if we can turn off $CC unused result warning" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking if we can turn off $CC unused result warning... " >&6; }
      ac_save_cc="$CC"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1058,6 +1058,21 @@
 fi],
 [AC_MSG_RESULT(no)])
 
+# Check for --with-stdc89
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-stdc89)
+AC_ARG_WITH(stdc89,
+            AC_HELP_STRING(--with-stdc89, enforce C89 compatible compiler),
+[
+if test "$withval" != no
+then
+  AC_MSG_RESULT(yes);
+  with_stdc89='true'
+else
+  AC_MSG_RESULT(no);
+  with_stdc89='false'
+fi],
+[AC_MSG_RESULT(no)])
+
 # XXX Shouldn't the code above that fiddles with BASECFLAGS and OPT be
 # merged with this chunk of code?
 
@@ -1162,6 +1177,11 @@
       BASECFLAGS="$BASECFLAGS -fno-strict-aliasing"
     fi
 
+    # --with-stdc89 option
+    if test "$with_stdc89" = 'true' ; then
+        BASECFLAGS="-std=c89 $BASECFLAGS"
+    fi
+
     AC_MSG_CHECKING(if we can turn off $CC unused result warning)
      ac_save_cc="$CC"
      CC="$CC -Wunused-result -Werror"