diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 736ecd45b5..6ecf66e81c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ all::
 # Define NO_D_TYPE_IN_DIRENT if your platform defines DT_UNKNOWN but lacks
 # d_type in struct dirent (Cygwin 1.5, fixed in Cygwin 1.7).
 #
+# Define HAVE_STRINGS_H if you have strings.h and need it for strcasecmp.
+#
 # Define NO_STRCASESTR if you don't have strcasestr.
 #
 # Define NO_MEMMEM if you don't have memmem.
@@ -165,6 +167,10 @@ all::
 # Define NO_POLL if you do not have or don't want to use poll().
 # This also implies NO_SYS_POLL_H.
 #
+# Define NEEDS_SYS_PARAM_H if you need to include sys/param.h to compile,
+# *PLEASE* REPORT to git@vger.kernel.org if your platform needs this;
+# we want to know more about the issue.
+#
 # Define NO_PTHREADS if you do not have or do not want to use Pthreads.
 #
 # Define NO_PREAD if you have a problem with pread() system call (e.g.
@@ -1353,6 +1359,7 @@ ifeq ($(uname_S),NONSTOP_KERNEL)
 	# Added manually, see above.
 	NEEDS_SSL_WITH_CURL = YesPlease
 	HAVE_LIBCHARSET_H = YesPlease
+	HAVE_STRINGS_H = YesPlease
 	NEEDS_LIBICONV = YesPlease
 	NEEDS_LIBINTL_BEFORE_LIBICONV = YesPlease
 	NO_SYS_SELECT_H = UnfortunatelyYes
@@ -1655,6 +1662,9 @@ endif
 ifdef NO_D_INO_IN_DIRENT
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNO_D_INO_IN_DIRENT
 endif
+ifdef NO_GECOS_IN_PWENT
+	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNO_GECOS_IN_PWENT
+endif
 ifdef NO_ST_BLOCKS_IN_STRUCT_STAT
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNO_ST_BLOCKS_IN_STRUCT_STAT
 endif
@@ -1748,6 +1758,9 @@ endif
 ifdef NO_SYS_POLL_H
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNO_SYS_POLL_H
 endif
+ifdef NEEDS_SYS_PARAM_H
+	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNEEDS_SYS_PARAM_H
+endif
 ifdef NO_INTTYPES_H
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DNO_INTTYPES_H
 endif
@@ -1884,6 +1897,10 @@ ifdef HAVE_LIBCHARSET_H
 	EXTLIBS += $(CHARSET_LIB)
 endif
 
+ifdef HAVE_STRINGS_H
+	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DHAVE_STRINGS_H
+endif
+
 ifdef HAVE_DEV_TTY
 	BASIC_CFLAGS += -DHAVE_DEV_TTY
 endif
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ad215cc4a1..dc6925f11a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -753,6 +753,14 @@ AC_CHECK_MEMBER(struct dirent.d_type,
 [#include <dirent.h>])
 GIT_CONF_SUBST([NO_D_TYPE_IN_DIRENT])
 #
+# Define NO_GECOS_IN_PWENT if you don't have pw_gecos in struct passwd
+# in the C library.
+AC_CHECK_MEMBER(struct passwd.pw_gecos,
+[NO_GECOS_IN_PWENT=],
+[NO_GECOS_IN_PWENT=YesPlease],
+[#include <pwd.h>])
+GIT_CONF_SUBST([NO_GECOS_IN_PWENT])
+#
 # Define NO_SOCKADDR_STORAGE if your platform does not have struct
 # sockaddr_storage.
 AC_CHECK_TYPE(struct sockaddr_storage,
@@ -872,6 +880,12 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADER([libcharset.h],
 [HAVE_LIBCHARSET_H=YesPlease],
 [HAVE_LIBCHARSET_H=])
 GIT_CONF_SUBST([HAVE_LIBCHARSET_H])
+#
+# Define HAVE_STRINGS_H if you have strings.h
+AC_CHECK_HEADER([strings.h],
+[HAVE_STRINGS_H=YesPlease],
+[HAVE_STRINGS_H=])
+GIT_CONF_SUBST([HAVE_STRINGS_H])
 # Define CHARSET_LIB if libiconv does not export the locale_charset symbol
 # and libcharset does
 CHARSET_LIB=
diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index 2e79b8a2f3..a88147b2dd 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -99,12 +99,14 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#ifdef __TANDEM /* or HAVE_STRINGS_H or !NO_STRINGS_H? */
+#ifdef HAVE_STRINGS_H
 #include <strings.h> /* for strcasecmp() */
 #endif
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <limits.h>
+#ifdef NEEDS_SYS_PARAM_H
 #include <sys/param.h>
+#endif
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>