diff --git a/mps/Makefile.in b/mps/Makefile.in
index c816e73efcc..180bf944083 100644
--- a/mps/Makefile.in
+++ b/mps/Makefile.in
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # to build and integrate the MPS.
 #
 
+MAKE=@MAKE@
 MPS_TARGET_PF=@MPS_TARGET_PF@
 MPS_TARGET_NAME=@MPS_TARGET_NAME@
 
@@ -16,7 +17,6 @@ BUILD_TARGET=@BUILD_TARGET@
 CLEAN_TARGET=@CLEAN_TARGET@
 
 all: @BUILD_TARGET@
-	$(BUILD)
 
 build-via-make:
 	$(MAKE) -C code -f $(MPS_TARGET_NAME).gmk
diff --git a/mps/configure b/mps/configure
index 787f690890b..3c6b094c176 100755
--- a/mps/configure
+++ b/mps/configure
@@ -591,6 +591,7 @@ CLEAN_TARGET
 BUILD_TARGET
 MPS_TARGET_NAME
 MPS_TARGET_PF
+MAKE
 host_os
 host_vendor
 host_cpu
@@ -2686,6 +2687,53 @@ $as_echo "FreeBSD x86_64" >&6; }
     as_fn_error $? "MPS does not support this platform out of the box.  See manual/build.txt" "$LINENO" 5
 esac
 
+for ac_prog in gnumake gmake make
+do
+  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if ${ac_cv_prog_MAKE+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$MAKE"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_MAKE="$MAKE" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_MAKE="$ac_prog"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+MAKE=$ac_cv_prog_MAKE
+if test -n "$MAKE"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $MAKE" >&5
+$as_echo "$MAKE" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+  test -n "$MAKE" && break
+done
+test -n "$MAKE" || MAKE="as_fn_error $? "Unable to find a make program." "$LINENO" 5"
+
+if ! $MAKE --version | grep -q "GNU" 2> /dev/null; then
+  as_fn_error $? "MPS requires GNU make to build from configure, but see manual/build.txt" "$LINENO" 5
+fi
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/mps/configure.ac b/mps/configure.ac
index abcddd82166..66f90ba17ca 100644
--- a/mps/configure.ac
+++ b/mps/configure.ac
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ case $host in
     AC_MSG_ERROR([MPS does not support this platform out of the box.  See manual/build.txt])
 esac
 
+AC_CHECK_PROGS([MAKE],[gnumake gmake make],[AC_MSG_ERROR([Unable to find a make program.])])
+if ! $MAKE --version | grep -q "GNU" 2> /dev/null; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([MPS requires GNU make to build from configure, but see manual/build.txt])
+fi
+
 AC_SUBST(MPS_TARGET_PF)
 AC_SUBST(MPS_TARGET_NAME)
 AC_SUBST(BUILD_TARGET)