diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 0b5011658..efe7ce749 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -33757,7 +33757,7 @@ fi
 	fi
 
 	# Linker-specific hardening flags.
-	if test a X"$with_gnu_ld" = X"yes"; then
+	if test X"$with_gnu_ld" = X"yes"; then
 	    # GNU ld, and similar (gold, lld, etc).
 	    { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether the linker accepts -Wl,-z,relro" >&5
 printf %s "checking whether the linker accepts -Wl,-z,relro... " >&6; }
diff --git a/m4/hardening.m4 b/m4/hardening.m4
index e7bfa942e..f7d2a8c29 100644
--- a/m4/hardening.m4
+++ b/m4/hardening.m4
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([SUDO_CHECK_HARDENING], [
 	fi
 
 	# Linker-specific hardening flags.
-	if test a X"$with_gnu_ld" = X"yes"; then
+	if test X"$with_gnu_ld" = X"yes"; then
 	    # GNU ld, and similar (gold, lld, etc).
 	    AX_CHECK_LINK_FLAG([-Wl,-z,relro], [AX_APPEND_FLAG([-Wl,-z,relro], [HARDENING_LDFLAGS])])
 	    AX_CHECK_LINK_FLAG([-Wl,-z,now], [AX_APPEND_FLAG([-Wl,-z,now], [HARDENING_LDFLAGS])])