diff --git a/Configure b/Configure
index 368b8991cc..f0a88f8468 100755
--- a/Configure
+++ b/Configure
@@ -584,6 +584,15 @@ my %target_attr_translate =(
     rm          => 'RM',
    );
 
+# Initialisers coming from 'config' scripts
+$config{defines} = [ split(/$list_separator_re/, env('__CNF_CPPDEFINES')) ],
+$config{includes} = [ split(/$list_separator_re/, env('__CNF_CPPINCLUDES')) ],
+$config{cppflags} = [ env('__CNF_CPPFLAGS') || () ],
+$config{cflags} = [ env('__CNF_CFLAGS') || () ],
+$config{cxxflags} = [ env('__CNF_CXXFLAGS') || () ],
+$config{lflags} = [ env('__CNF_LDFLAGS') || () ],
+$config{ex_libs} = [ env('__CNF_LDLIBS') || () ],
+
 $config{openssl_api_defines}=[];
 $config{openssl_algorithm_defines}=[];
 $config{openssl_thread_defines}=[];
diff --git a/config b/config
index 00f9087611..92dfa4af7f 100755
--- a/config
+++ b/config
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ EOF
 esac
 done
 
+# Environment that's being passed to Configure
+__CNF_CPPDEFINES=
+__CNF_CPPINCLUDES=
+__CNF_CPPFLAGS=
+__CNF_CFLAGS=
+__CNF_CXXFLAGS=
+__CNF_LDFLAGS=
+__CNF_LDLIBS=
+
 # First get uname entries that we use below
 
 [ "$MACHINE" ] || MACHINE=`(uname -m) 2>/dev/null` || MACHINE="unknown"
@@ -504,10 +513,12 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	    OUT="darwin64-x86_64-cc"
 	fi ;;
   armv6+7-*-iphoneos)
-	options="$options -arch%20armv6 -arch%20armv7"
+	__CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -arch%20armv6 -arch%20armv7"
+	__CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -arch%20armv6 -arch%20armv7"
 	OUT="iphoneos-cross" ;;
   *-*-iphoneos)
-	options="$options -arch%20${MACHINE}"
+	__CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -arch%20${MACHINE}"
+	__CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -arch%20${MACHINE}"
 	OUT="iphoneos-cross" ;;
   arm64-*-iphoneos|*-*-ios64)
 	OUT="ios64-cross" ;;
@@ -519,9 +530,12 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	esac
 	if [ "$CC" = "gcc" ]; then
 	    case ${ISA:-generic} in
-	    EV5|EV45)		options="$options -mcpu=ev5";;
-	    EV56|PCA56)		options="$options -mcpu=ev56";;
-	    *)			options="$options -mcpu=ev6";;
+	    EV5|EV45)		__CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -mcpu=ev5"
+				__CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -mcpu=ev5";;
+	    EV56|PCA56)		__CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -mcpu=ev56"
+				__CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -mcpu=ev56";;
+	    *)			__CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -mcpu=ev6"
+				__CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -mcpu=ev6";;
 	    esac
 	fi
 	;;
@@ -538,7 +552,12 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	    OUT="linux-ppc64"
 	else
 	    OUT="linux-ppc"
-	    (echo "__LP64__" | gcc -E -x c - 2>/dev/null | grep "^__LP64__" 2>&1 > /dev/null) || options="$options -m32"
+	    if (echo "__LP64__" | gcc -E -x c - 2>/dev/null | grep "^__LP64__" 2>&1 > /dev/null); then
+		:;
+	    else
+		__CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -m32"
+		__CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -m32"
+	    fi
 	fi
 	;;
   ppc64le-*-linux2) OUT="linux-ppc64le" ;;
@@ -574,7 +593,8 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	sun4u*)	OUT="linux-sparcv9" ;;
 	sun4m)	OUT="linux-sparcv8" ;;
 	sun4d)	OUT="linux-sparcv8" ;;
-	*)	OUT="linux-generic32"; options="$options -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
+	*)	OUT="linux-generic32";
+		__CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
 	esac ;;
   parisc*-*-linux2)
 	# 64-bit builds under parisc64 linux are not supported and
@@ -596,16 +616,25 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	CPUSCHEDULE=`echo $CPUSCHEDULE|sed -e 's/7300LC/7100LC/' -e 's/8.00/8000/'`
 	# Finish Model transformations
 
-	options="$options -DB_ENDIAN -mschedule=$CPUSCHEDULE -march=$CPUARCH"
+	__CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DB_ENDIAN"
+	__CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -mschedule=$CPUSCHEDULE -march=$CPUARCH"
+	__CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -mschedule=$CPUSCHEDULE -march=$CPUARCH"
 	OUT="linux-generic32" ;;
   armv[1-3]*-*-linux2) OUT="linux-generic32" ;;
-  armv[7-9]*-*-linux2) OUT="linux-armv4"; options="$options -march=armv7-a" ;;
+  armv[7-9]*-*-linux2) OUT="linux-armv4"
+		       __CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -march=armv7-a"
+		       __CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -march=armv7-a"
+		       ;;
   arm*-*-linux2) OUT="linux-armv4" ;;
   aarch64-*-linux2) OUT="linux-aarch64" ;;
-  sh*b-*-linux2) OUT="linux-generic32"; options="$options -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
-  sh*-*-linux2)  OUT="linux-generic32"; options="$options -DL_ENDIAN" ;;
-  m68k*-*-linux2) OUT="linux-generic32"; options="$options -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
-  s390-*-linux2) OUT="linux-generic32"; options="$options -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
+  sh*b-*-linux2) OUT="linux-generic32";
+		 __CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
+  sh*-*-linux2)	 OUT="linux-generic32";
+		 __CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DL_ENDIAN" ;;
+  m68k*-*-linux2) OUT="linux-generic32";
+		  __CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
+  s390-*-linux2) OUT="linux-generic32";
+		 __CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
   s390x-*-linux2)
 	# To be uncommented when glibc bug is fixed, see Configure...
 	#if egrep -e '^features.* highgprs' /proc/cpuinfo >/dev/null ; then
@@ -687,9 +716,12 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	;;
   *-*-sunos4)		OUT="sunos-$CC" ;;
 
-  *86*-*-bsdi4)		OUT="BSD-x86-elf"; options="$options no-sse2 -ldl" ;;
-  alpha*-*-*bsd*)	OUT="BSD-generic64"; options="$options -DL_ENDIAN" ;;
-  powerpc64-*-*bsd*)	OUT="BSD-generic64"; options="$options -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
+  *86*-*-bsdi4)		OUT="BSD-x86-elf"; options="$options no-sse2";
+			__CNF_LDFLAGS="$__CNF_LDFLAGS -ldl" ;;
+  alpha*-*-*bsd*)	OUT="BSD-generic64";
+			__CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DL_ENDIAN" ;;
+  powerpc64-*-*bsd*)	OUT="BSD-generic64";
+			__CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DB_ENDIAN" ;;
   sparc64-*-*bsd*)	OUT="BSD-sparc64" ;;
   ia64-*-*bsd*)		OUT="BSD-ia64" ;;
   x86_64-*-dragonfly*)  OUT="BSD-x86_64" ;;
@@ -716,7 +748,8 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	if [ "$CC" = "gcc" ]; then
 	  OUT="unixware-7-gcc" ; options="$options no-sse2"
 	else    
-	  OUT="unixware-7" ; options="$options no-sse2 -D__i386__"
+	  OUT="unixware-7" ; options="$options no-sse2"
+	  __CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -D__i386__"
 	fi
 	;;
   *-*-[Uu]nix[Ww]are20*) OUT="unixware-2.0"; options="$options no-sse2 no-sha512" ;;
@@ -763,7 +796,7 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
 	else					# Motorola(?) CPU
 	     OUT="hpux-$CC"
 	fi
-	options="$options -D_REENTRANT" ;;
+	__CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -D_REENTRANT" ;;
   *-hpux)	OUT="hpux-parisc-$CC" ;;
   *-aix)
 	[ "$KERNEL_BITS" ] || KERNEL_BITS=`(getconf KERNEL_BITMODE) 2>/dev/null`
@@ -802,7 +835,9 @@ case "$GUESSOS" in
   *-*-qnx6) OUT="QNX6" ;;
   x86-*-android|i?86-*-android) OUT="android-x86" ;;
   armv[7-9]*-*-android)
-      OUT="android-armeabi"; options="$options -march=armv7-a" ;;
+      OUT="android-armeabi"
+      __CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -march=armv7-a"
+      __CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -march=armv7-a";;
   arm*-*-android) OUT="android-armeabi" ;;
   *) OUT=`echo $GUESSOS | awk -F- '{print $3}'`;;
 esac
@@ -816,7 +851,7 @@ esac
 # See whether we can compile Atalla support
 #if [ -f /usr/include/atasi.h ]
 #then
-#  options="$options -DATALLA"
+#  __CNF_CPPFLAGS="$__CNF_CPPFLAGS -DATALLA"
 #fi
 
 if [ -n "$CONFIG_OPTIONS" ]; then
@@ -824,9 +859,11 @@ if [ -n "$CONFIG_OPTIONS" ]; then
 fi
 
 if expr "$options" : '.*no\-asm' > /dev/null; then :; else
-  sh -c "$CROSS_COMPILE${CC:-gcc} -Wa,--help -c -o /tmp/null.$$.o -x assembler /dev/null && rm /tmp/null.$$.o" 2>&1 | \
-  grep \\--noexecstack >/dev/null && \
-  options="$options -Wa,--noexecstack"
+  if sh -c "$CROSS_COMPILE${CC:-gcc} -Wa,--help -c -o /tmp/null.$$.o -x assembler /dev/null && rm /tmp/null.$$.o" 2>&1 | \
+         grep \\--noexecstack >/dev/null; then
+    __CNF_CFLAGS="$__CNF_CFLAGS -Wa,--noexecstack"
+    __CNF_CXXFLAGS="$__CNF_CXXFLAGS -Wa,--noexecstack"
+  fi
 fi
 
 # gcc < 2.8 does not support -march=ultrasparc
@@ -900,12 +937,28 @@ OUT="$OUT"
 $PERL $THERE/Configure LIST | grep "$OUT" > /dev/null
 if [ $? = "0" ]; then
   if [ "$VERBOSE" = "true" ]; then
-    echo $PERL $THERE/Configure $OUT $options
+    echo /usr/bin/env \
+	 __CNF_CPPDEFINES="'$__CNF_CPPDEFINES'" \
+	 __CNF_CPPINCLUDES="'$__CNF_CPPINCLUDES'" \
+	 __CNF_CPPFLAGS="'$__CNF_CPPFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_CFLAGS="'$__CNF_CFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_CXXFLAGS="'$__CNF_CXXFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_LDFLAGS="'$__CNF_LDFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_LDLIBS="'$__CNF_LDLIBS'" \
+	 $PERL $THERE/Configure $OUT $options
   fi  
   if [ "$DRYRUN" = "false" ]; then
     # eval to make sure quoted options, possibly with spaces inside,
     # are treated right
-    eval $PERL $THERE/Configure $OUT $options
+    eval /usr/bin/env \
+	 __CNF_CPPDEFINES="'$__CNF_CPPDEFINES'" \
+	 __CNF_CPPINCLUDES="'$__CNF_CPPINCLUDES'" \
+	 __CNF_CPPFLAGS="'$__CNF_CPPFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_CFLAGS="'$__CNF_CFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_CXXFLAGS="'$__CNF_CXXFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_LDFLAGS="'$__CNF_LDFLAGS'" \
+	 __CNF_LDLIBS="'$__CNF_LDLIBS'" \
+	 $PERL $THERE/Configure $OUT $options
   fi
 else
   echo "This system ($OUT) is not supported. See file INSTALL for details."