diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index a78c3d2679..0c836b2af4 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+ 958.	[port]		ssize_t is not available on all platforms.  [RT #1607]
+
  957.	[bug]		sys/select.h inclusion was broken on older platforms.
 			[RT #1607]
 
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index 777e7e8f56..9eea066bcf 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: config.h.in,v 1.44 2001/07/14 01:55:05 gson Exp $ */
+/* $Id: config.h.in,v 1.45 2001/08/15 05:49:44 marka Exp $ */
 
 /***
  *** This file is not to be included by any public header files, because
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
 /* Define to `unsigned' if <sys/types.h> doesn't define.  */
 #undef size_t
 
+/* Define to `unsigned' if <sys/types.h> doesn't define.  */
+#undef ssize_t
+
 /* Define if you have the ANSI C header files.  */
 #undef STDC_HEADERS
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index b1a2497b86..0b065fd173 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ AC_DIVERT_PUSH(AC_DIVERSION_NOTICE)dnl
 esyscmd([sed "s/^/# /" COPYRIGHT])dnl
 AC_DIVERT_POP()dnl
 
-AC_REVISION($Revision: 1.287 $)
+AC_REVISION($Revision: 1.288 $)
 
 AC_INIT(lib/dns/name.c)
 AC_PREREQ(2.13)
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ AC_TRY_COMPILE(, [
          AC_DEFINE(inline, )])
 
 AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
+AC_CHECK_TYPE(ssize_t, unsigned)
 AC_HEADER_TIME
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for long long)
 AC_TRY_COMPILE([],[long long i = 0; return (0);],