diff --git a/src/configure b/src/configure
index 03a27f656765aeebbb1b62b1fdc45fb9237f0f2c..888e255b461f0e57d6466f759311ee05bd4dd3d0 100755
--- a/src/configure
+++ b/src/configure
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ if test "$ECHO_N_OUT" -eq 0; then
 else
   if test "ECHO_C_OUT" -eq 0; then
     DASH_N=
-    BACKSLASH_C= '\\\\c'
+    BACKSLASH_C='\\\\c'
   else
     { echo "configure: error: "echo behaviour undetermined"" 1>&2; exit 1; }
   fi
diff --git a/src/configure.in b/src/configure.in
index 4851baca3c0b0292968fd4389891d30fb3bb3470..53ed959b7d73da181c4f103cc87b5e8e92658c86 100644
--- a/src/configure.in
+++ b/src/configure.in
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ if test "$ECHO_N_OUT" -eq 0; then
 else
   if test "ECHO_C_OUT" -eq 0; then
     DASH_N=
-    BACKSLASH_C= '\\\\c'
+    BACKSLASH_C='\\\\c'
   else
     AC_MSG_ERROR("echo behaviour undetermined")
   fi