diff --git a/project/config/cfgdefs.in b/project/config/cfgdefs.in
index 789a8a7..07ab405 100644
--- a/project/config/cfgdefs.in
+++ b/project/config/cfgdefs.in
@@ -4,3 +4,7 @@ AUTOMAKE_YEAR              = @automake_year@
 AUTOMAKE_MAJOR             = @automake_major@
 AUTOMAKE_MINOR             = @automake_minor@
 AUTOMAKE_MICRO             = @automake_micro@
+
+# interpreters for aclocal & automake
+HOST_PERL                  = @host_perl@
+HOST_SH                    = @host_sh@
diff --git a/project/config/cfgdefs.sh b/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
index ed1d3a0..4f07150 100644
--- a/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
+++ b/project/config/cfgdefs.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@
 
 for arg ; do
 	case "$arg" in
+		--with-host-perl=*)
+			mb_host_perl=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+
+		--with-host-sh=*)
+			mb_host_sh=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+
 		*)
 			error_msg ${arg#}: "unsupported config argument."
 			exit 2
@@ -43,12 +51,17 @@ cfgdefs_detect_automake_version()
 
 cfgdefs_output_custom_defs()
 {
+	mb_host_perl=${mb_host_perl:-/usr/bin/perl}
+	mb_host_sh=${mb_host_sh:-/usr/bin/sh}
+
 	sed \
 			-e 's/@automake_ver@/'"$automake_ver"'/g'       \
 			-e 's/@automake_year@/'"$automake_year"'/g'     \
 			-e 's/@automake_major@/'"$automake_major"'/g'   \
 			-e 's/@automake_minor@/'"$automake_minor"'/g'   \
 			-e 's/@automake_micro@/'"$automake_micro"'/g'   \
+			-e 's!@host_perl@!'"$mb_host_perl"'!g'          \
+			-e 's!@host_sh@!'"$mb_host_sh"'!g'              \
 		"$mb_project_dir/project/config/cfgdefs.in"         \
 	| sed -e 's/[ \t]*$//g'                                     \
 			>> "$mb_pwd/cfgdefs.mk"