diff --git a/build-aux/ltmain.in b/build-aux/ltmain.in
index 0a9adc84..aa4e0f3b 100644
--- a/build-aux/ltmain.in
+++ b/build-aux/ltmain.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#! /bin/sh
+#! /usr/bin/env sh
 
 # libtool (GNU @PACKAGE@) @VERSION@
 # Provide generalized library-building support services.
diff --git a/libtoolize.in b/libtoolize.in
index 499c431a..dbd67e81 100644
--- a/libtoolize.in
+++ b/libtoolize.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#! /bin/sh
+#! /usr/bin/env sh
 
 # Prepare a package to use libtool.
 # Written by Gary V. Vaughan <gary@gnu.org>, 2003
diff --git a/m4/libtool.m4 b/m4/libtool.m4
index e4579a76..9899ec1f 100644
--- a/m4/libtool.m4
+++ b/m4/libtool.m4
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ m4_require([_LT_FILEUTILS_DEFAULTS])dnl
 m4_require([_LT_CHECK_SHELL_FEATURES])dnl
 m4_require([_LT_PATH_CONVERSION_FUNCTIONS])dnl
 m4_require([_LT_CMD_RELOAD])dnl
+m4_require([_LT_DECL_FILECMD])dnl
 m4_require([_LT_CHECK_MAGIC_METHOD])dnl
 m4_require([_LT_CHECK_SHAREDLIB_FROM_LINKLIB])dnl
 m4_require([_LT_CMD_OLD_ARCHIVE])dnl
@@ -1293,7 +1294,7 @@ ia64-*-hpux*)
   # options accordingly.
   echo 'int i;' > conftest.$ac_ext
   if AC_TRY_EVAL(ac_compile); then
-    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.$ac_objext` in
+    case `$FILECMD conftest.$ac_objext` in
       *ELF-32*)
 	HPUX_IA64_MODE=32
 	;;
@@ -1310,7 +1311,7 @@ ia64-*-hpux*)
   echo '[#]line '$LINENO' "configure"' > conftest.$ac_ext
   if AC_TRY_EVAL(ac_compile); then
     if test yes = "$lt_cv_prog_gnu_ld"; then
-      case `/usr/bin/file conftest.$ac_objext` in
+      case `$FILECMD conftest.$ac_objext` in
 	*32-bit*)
 	  LD="${LD-ld} -melf32bsmip"
 	  ;;
@@ -1322,7 +1323,7 @@ ia64-*-hpux*)
 	;;
       esac
     else
-      case `/usr/bin/file conftest.$ac_objext` in
+      case `$FILECMD conftest.$ac_objext` in
 	*32-bit*)
 	  LD="${LD-ld} -32"
 	  ;;
@@ -1344,7 +1345,7 @@ mips64*-*linux*)
   echo '[#]line '$LINENO' "configure"' > conftest.$ac_ext
   if AC_TRY_EVAL(ac_compile); then
     emul=elf
-    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.$ac_objext` in
+    case `$FILECMD conftest.$ac_objext` in
       *32-bit*)
 	emul="${emul}32"
 	;;
@@ -1352,7 +1353,7 @@ mips64*-*linux*)
 	emul="${emul}64"
 	;;
     esac
-    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.$ac_objext` in
+    case `$FILECMD conftest.$ac_objext` in
       *MSB*)
 	emul="${emul}btsmip"
 	;;
@@ -1360,7 +1361,7 @@ mips64*-*linux*)
 	emul="${emul}ltsmip"
 	;;
     esac
-    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.$ac_objext` in
+    case `$FILECMD conftest.$ac_objext` in
       *N32*)
 	emul="${emul}n32"
 	;;
@@ -1380,14 +1381,14 @@ s390*-*linux*|s390*-*tpf*|sparc*-*linux*)
   # not appear in the list.
   echo 'int i;' > conftest.$ac_ext
   if AC_TRY_EVAL(ac_compile); then
-    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.o` in
+    case `$FILECMD conftest.o` in
       *32-bit*)
 	case $host in
 	  x86_64-*kfreebsd*-gnu)
 	    LD="${LD-ld} -m elf_i386_fbsd"
 	    ;;
 	  x86_64-*linux*)
-	    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.o` in
+	    case `$FILECMD conftest.o` in
 	      *x86-64*)
 		LD="${LD-ld} -m elf32_x86_64"
 		;;
@@ -1455,7 +1456,7 @@ s390*-*linux*|s390*-*tpf*|sparc*-*linux*)
   # options accordingly.
   echo 'int i;' > conftest.$ac_ext
   if AC_TRY_EVAL(ac_compile); then
-    case `/usr/bin/file conftest.o` in
+    case `$FILECMD conftest.o` in
     *64-bit*)
       case $lt_cv_prog_gnu_ld in
       yes*)
@@ -3477,7 +3478,7 @@ beos*)
 
 bsdi[[45]]*)
   lt_cv_deplibs_check_method='file_magic ELF [[0-9]][[0-9]]*-bit [[ML]]SB (shared object|dynamic lib)'
-  lt_cv_file_magic_cmd='/usr/bin/file -L'
+  lt_cv_file_magic_cmd='$FILECMD -L'
   lt_cv_file_magic_test_file=/shlib/libc.so
   ;;
 
@@ -3518,7 +3519,7 @@ freebsd* | dragonfly*)
       # Not sure whether the presence of OpenBSD here was a mistake.
       # Let's accept both of them until this is cleared up.
       lt_cv_deplibs_check_method='file_magic (FreeBSD|OpenBSD|DragonFly)/i[[3-9]]86 (compact )?demand paged shared library'
-      lt_cv_file_magic_cmd=/usr/bin/file
+      lt_cv_file_magic_cmd=$FILECMD
       lt_cv_file_magic_test_file=`echo /usr/lib/libc.so.*`
       ;;
     esac
@@ -3532,7 +3533,7 @@ haiku*)
   ;;
 
 hpux10.20* | hpux11*)
-  lt_cv_file_magic_cmd=/usr/bin/file
+  lt_cv_file_magic_cmd=$FILECMD
   case $host_cpu in
   ia64*)
     lt_cv_deplibs_check_method='file_magic (s[[0-9]][[0-9]][[0-9]]|ELF-[[0-9]][[0-9]]) shared object file - IA64'
@@ -3579,7 +3580,7 @@ netbsd*)
 
 newos6*)
   lt_cv_deplibs_check_method='file_magic ELF [[0-9]][[0-9]]*-bit [[ML]]SB (executable|dynamic lib)'
-  lt_cv_file_magic_cmd=/usr/bin/file
+  lt_cv_file_magic_cmd=$FILECMD
   lt_cv_file_magic_test_file=/usr/lib/libnls.so
   ;;
 
@@ -8215,6 +8216,14 @@ _LT_DECL([], [DLLTOOL], [1], [DLL creation program])
 AC_SUBST([DLLTOOL])
 ])
 
+# _LT_DECL_FILECMD
+# ----------------
+# Check for a file(cmd) program that can be used to detect file type and magic
+m4_defun([_LT_DECL_FILECMD],
+[AC_CHECK_TOOL([FILECMD], [file], [:])
+_LT_DECL([], [FILECMD], [1], [A file(cmd) program that detects file types])
+])# _LD_DECL_FILECMD
+
 # _LT_DECL_SED
 # ------------
 # Check for a fully-functional sed program, that truncates