diff --git a/configure b/configure
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -14381,7 +14381,12 @@
 $as_echo "$LDVERSION" >&6; }
 
 
-LIBPL="${prefix}/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
+if test "x${prefix}" = "xNONE" ; then
+    LIBPL_PREFIX="${ac_default_prefix}"
+else
+    LIBPL_PREFIX="${prefix}"
+fi
+LIBPL="${LIBPL_PREFIX}/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
 
 
 # Check whether right shifting a negative integer extends the sign bit
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4331,7 +4331,12 @@
 
 dnl define LIBPL after ABIFLAGS and LDVERSION is defined.
 AC_SUBST(PY_ENABLE_SHARED)
-LIBPL="${prefix}/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
+if test "x${prefix}" = "xNONE" ; then
+    LIBPL_PREFIX="${ac_default_prefix}"
+else
+    LIBPL_PREFIX="${prefix}"
+fi
+LIBPL="${LIBPL_PREFIX}/lib/python${VERSION}/config-${LDVERSION}"
 AC_SUBST(LIBPL)
 
 # Check whether right shifting a negative integer extends the sign bit