diff --git a/configure b/configure
index bf739178a..5be40d06b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ int main()
 EOF
   if runcmd $CC -o testconf testconf.c
   then
-    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DHAVE_LIBGEN"
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DHAVE_DIRNAME -DHAVE_BASENAME"
   fi
   rm -f testconf*
 }
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6a711fad1..ecd4ac2ad 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_CXX
 AC_HEADER_STDC
 AC_HEADER_TIME
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS([lrintf strlcpy strlcat daemon])
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS([lrintf strlcpy strlcat daemon dirname basename])
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ ALL_LINGUAS="bg es fi fr it pl ro ru sv"
 AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT
 transmissionlocaledir='${prefix}/${DATADIRNAME}/locale'
 
-AC_CHECK_LIB([gen],[basename])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([crypto],[CRYPTO_new_ex_data])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([ssl],[SSL_library_init])
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([socket], [socket net])
diff --git a/libtransmission/basename.c b/libtransmission/basename.c
index 21d4bceb7..c092dd342 100644
--- a/libtransmission/basename.c
+++ b/libtransmission/basename.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-#ifndef HAVE_LIBGEN
+#ifndef HAVE_BASENAME
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -64,4 +64,4 @@ basename(const char *path)
 	return (bname);
 }
 
-#endif /* HAVE_LIBGEN */
+#endif /* HAVE_BASENAME */
diff --git a/libtransmission/dirname.c b/libtransmission/dirname.c
index 42a566b08..687ea8723 100644
--- a/libtransmission/dirname.c
+++ b/libtransmission/dirname.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-#ifndef HAVE_LIBGEN
+#ifndef HAVE_DIRNAME
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -68,4 +68,4 @@ dirname(const char *path)
 	return (dname);
 }
 
-#endif /* HAVE_LIBGEN */
+#endif /* HAVE_DIRNAME */
diff --git a/libtransmission/trcompat.h b/libtransmission/trcompat.h
index ddcd4c9f8..b932fcafe 100644
--- a/libtransmission/trcompat.h
+++ b/libtransmission/trcompat.h
@@ -42,13 +42,14 @@ int asprintf( char **, const char *, ... );
 int vasprintf( char **, const char *, va_list );
 #endif
 
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBGEN
-# include <libgen.h>
-#else
-char *
-dirname(const char *path);
-char *
-basename(const char *path);
+#if defined(HAVE_DIRNAME) || defined(HAVE_BASENAME)
+    #include <libgen.h>
+#endif
+#ifndef HAVE_DIRNAME
+    char* dirname(const char *path);
+#endif
+#ifndef HAVE_BASENAME
+    char* basename(const char *path);
 #endif
 
 #endif /* TRCOMPAT_H */