diff --git a/auxprogs/Makefile.am b/auxprogs/Makefile.am
index 9831ee3b4..3a9709da6 100644
--- a/auxprogs/Makefile.am
+++ b/auxprogs/Makefile.am
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ $(GSL_TAR):
 # We need to autoreconf to make sure to get config.guess, config.sub
 # and libtool for newer architectures.
 $(GSL_SRC_DIR)/gsl-patched: $(GSL_TAR)
-	echo "$(GSL_SHA256_SUM)  $(GSL_TAR)" | sha256sum --check -
+	echo "$(GSL_SHA256_SUM)  $(GSL_TAR)" | @SHA256SUM@ --check -
 	(cd $(AUX_CHECK_DIR) && \
 	 tar zxf $(GSL_TAR_NAME) && \
 	 cd $(GSL_DIR_NAME) && \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 696c967ee..92fb33c4a 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ m4_ifndef([AC_PROG_SED],
                      AC_CHECK_PROGS([SED],[gsed sed])])])
 AC_PROG_SED
 
+AC_DEFUN([AC_PROG_SHA256SUM],
+          [AC_ARG_VAR([SHA256SUM])
+          AC_CHECK_PROGS([SHA256SUM],[gsha256sum sha256sum])])
+AC_PROG_SHA256SUM
+
 # If no AR variable was specified, look up the name of the archiver. Otherwise
 # do not touch the AR variable.
 if test "x$AR" = "x"; then