diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9d45360c0..093b87d8c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -336,26 +336,18 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([system-cc],
             [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-system-cc=PATH],
                             [Path to system compiler to be used for linking])],
             [system_cc="$withval"],
-            [system_cc="$cc_bare"])
+            [AC_PATH_PROG([system_cc], ["$cc_bare"])])
 
 if test x$system_cc != xno; then
   AC_MSG_CHECKING([if $system_cc executable exists])
-  AS_IF([test -x $system_cc],
+  AS_IF([command -v $system_cc >/dev/null],
         [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
         [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-         AC_PATH_PROG([system_cc], ["$system_cc"],
-                      [AC_MSG_ERROR([system C compiler $system_cc not found])])])
+         AC_MSG_ERROR([system C compiler $system_cc not found])])
 
-  case $host_os in
-    *cygwin*|msys*|mingw32*)
-      # Do not hard-code full path on Windows
-      system_cc="$(basename $system_cc)"
-      ;;
-  esac
-
-  AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SYSTEM_CC], ["$system_cc"], [System compiler])
+  AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SYSTEM_CC], ["`$pathprog $system_cc`"], [System compiler])
 else
-  AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([BOOTSTRAP_CC], ["$cc_bare"], [Bootstrap compiler])
+  AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([BOOTSTRAP_CC], ["`$pathprog $cc_bare`"], [Bootstrap compiler])
 fi
 
 case $host_os in
diff --git a/contrib/msys2/PKGBUILD b/contrib/msys2/PKGBUILD
index a87aeefad..d8d97f795 100644
--- a/contrib/msys2/PKGBUILD
+++ b/contrib/msys2/PKGBUILD
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ build() {
     --target="${MINGW_CHOST}" \
     --enable-static \
     --enable-shared \
-    --program-prefix=
+    --program-prefix= \
+    --with-system-cc=cc
 
   make
 }