diff --git a/Configure b/Configure
index bc4f9a9bd0..5ebff785a9 100755
--- a/Configure
+++ b/Configure
@@ -900,6 +900,10 @@ if ($rmd160_obj =~ /\.o$/)
 	$cflags.=" -DRMD160_ASM";
 	}
 
+# "Stringify" the C flags string.  This permits it to be made part of a string
+# and works as well on command lines.
+$cflags =~ s/([\\\"])/\\\1/g;
+
 my $version = "unknown";
 my $major = "unknown";
 my $minor = "unknown";
diff --git a/crypto/Makefile.ssl b/crypto/Makefile.ssl
index 30f929a182..3bdca28b00 100644
--- a/crypto/Makefile.ssl
+++ b/crypto/Makefile.ssl
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@ all: buildinf.h lib subdirs
 
 buildinf.h: ../Makefile.ssl
 	( echo "#ifndef MK1MF_BUILD"; \
-	echo "  /* auto-generated by crypto/Makefile.ssl for crypto/cversion.c */"; \
-	echo "  #define CFLAGS \"$(CC) $(CFLAG)\""; \
-	echo "  #define PLATFORM \"$(PLATFORM)\""; \
+	echo '  /* auto-generated by crypto/Makefile.ssl for crypto/cversion.c */'; \
+	echo '  #define CFLAGS "$(CC) $(CFLAG)"'; \
+	echo '  #define PLATFORM "$(PLATFORM)"'; \
 	echo "  #define DATE \"`LC_ALL=C LC_TIME=C date`\""; \
-	echo "#endif" ) >buildinf.h
+	echo '#endif' ) >buildinf.h
 
 testapps:
 	if echo ${SDIRS} | fgrep ' des '; \