diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 704772b62..f39c87d08 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ AC_PROG_LN_S
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
 AC_PROG_MKDIR_P
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
+AC_CHECK_TOOL([READELF], [readelf])
 AC_CHECK_TOOL(AR, ar)
 AC_PATH_TOOL(CFLOW_CMD, cflow)
 AC_PATH_TOOL(CSCOPE_CMD, cscope)
diff --git a/libdm/Makefile.in b/libdm/Makefile.in
index 35115d7f0..2758648e6 100644
--- a/libdm/Makefile.in
+++ b/libdm/Makefile.in
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ libdevmapper.$(LIB_SUFFIX) libdevmapper.$(LIB_SUFFIX).$(LIB_VERSION): $(LIB_SHAR
 # also the older symbol is built-in
 .symver_check: $(LIB_SHARED)
 	@echo "    [CHECK] $<"
-	$(Q) if readelf -Ws $< | grep -q dm_stats_create_region@@; then \
-	SYM=$$(readelf -Ws $< | grep dm_stats_create_region@DM_1_02_106); \
+	$(Q) if $(READELF) -Ws $< | grep -q dm_stats_create_region@@; then \
+	SYM=$$($(READELF) -Ws $< | grep dm_stats_create_region@DM_1_02_106); \
 	if test -n "$$SYM"; then touch $@; \
 	else echo >&2 "Missing versioned symbols in $<"; false; fi; \
 	else touch $@; fi
diff --git a/libdm/make.tmpl.in b/libdm/make.tmpl.in
index f1c88fac0..095fb028a 100644
--- a/libdm/make.tmpl.in
+++ b/libdm/make.tmpl.in
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ ifeq ($(CC), cc)
 endif
 
 RANLIB = @RANLIB@
+READELF = @READELF@
 INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 MKDIR_P = @MKDIR_P@
 MSGFMT = @MSGFMT@