diff --git a/src/auto/configure b/src/auto/configure
index 62aeab9..a9755a0 100755
--- a/src/auto/configure
+++ b/src/auto/configure
@@ -6741,6 +6741,9 @@
           RUBY_CFLAGS="$RUBY_CFLAGS -I$rubyhdrdir/$rubyarch"
         fi
         rubyversion=`$vi_cv_path_ruby -r rbconfig -e "print $ruby_rbconfig::CONFIG['ruby_version'].gsub(/\./, '')[0,2]"`
+	if test "X$rubyversion" = "X"; then
+	  rubyversion=`$vi_cv_path_ruby -e "print ((VERSION rescue RUBY_VERSION)).gsub(/\./, '')[0,2]"`
+	fi
         RUBY_CFLAGS="$RUBY_CFLAGS -DRUBY_VERSION=$rubyversion"
 	rubylibs=`$vi_cv_path_ruby -r rbconfig -e "print $ruby_rbconfig::CONFIG['LIBS']"`
 	if test "X$rubylibs" != "X"; then