diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 37850a3ef..adb76533a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([\
     be32toh \
     fsync \
     futimens \
+    getprogname \
     getxattr \
     htonl \
     htons \
diff --git a/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h b/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h
index 2b9070b0e..d49665516 100644
--- a/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h
+++ b/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ extern void guestfs___cleanup_pclose (void *ptr);
  */
 #if HAVE_DECL_PROGRAM_INVOCATION_SHORT_NAME == 1
 #  define guestfs___program_name program_invocation_short_name
+#elif HAVE_GETPROGNAME
+#  define guestfs___program_name getprogname()
 #else
 #  define guestfs___program_name "libguestfs"
 #endif