diff --git a/configure b/configure
index b55a792de..1f338f8dc 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2831,6 +2831,21 @@ if compile_prog "" "" ; then
     linux_magic_h=yes
 fi
 
+########################################
+# check if environ is declared
+
+has_environ=no
+cat > $TMPC << EOF
+#include <unistd.h>
+int main(void) {
+    environ = environ;
+    return 0;
+}
+EOF
+if compile_prog "" "" ; then
+    has_environ=yes
+fi
+
 ##########################################
 # End of CC checks
 # After here, no more $cc or $ld runs
@@ -3342,6 +3357,10 @@ if test "$linux_magic_h" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_LINUX_MAGIC_H=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 
+if test "$has_environ" = "yes" ; then
+  echo "CONFIG_HAS_ENVIRON=y" >> $config_host_mak
+fi
+
 # USB host support
 case "$usb" in
 linux)
diff --git a/qga/commands-posix.c b/qga/commands-posix.c
index 7664be10a..dab3bf9c9 100644
--- a/qga/commands-posix.c
+++ b/qga/commands-posix.c
@@ -14,12 +14,17 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 #include "qga/guest-agent-core.h"
 #include "qga-qmp-commands.h"
 #include "qerror.h"
 #include "qemu-queue.h"
 #include "host-utils.h"
 
+#ifndef CONFIG_HAS_ENVIRON
+extern char **environ;
+#endif
+
 #if defined(__linux__)
 #include <mntent.h>
 #include <linux/fs.h>
@@ -27,7 +32,6 @@
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <net/if.h>
-#include <sys/wait.h>
 
 #if defined(__linux__) && defined(FIFREEZE)
 #define CONFIG_FSFREEZE