diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c4596b53..62bbef3f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -185,6 +185,11 @@ if test "${with_fuse}" = "internal"; then
 		[LIBFUSE_LITE_LIBS="${LIBFUSE_LITE_LIBS} -lrt"],
 		[AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find rt library])]
 	)
+	AC_DEFINE(
+		[_REENTRANT],
+		[1],
+		[Required define if using POSIX threads]
+	)
 	# required so that we re-compile anything
 	AC_DEFINE(
 		[FUSE_INTERNAL],
diff --git a/libfuse-lite/Makefile.am b/libfuse-lite/Makefile.am
index d2f9ad5c..c8339718 100644
--- a/libfuse-lite/Makefile.am
+++ b/libfuse-lite/Makefile.am
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ endif
 libfuse_lite_la_CFLAGS=			  \
 	$(AM_CFLAGS) 			  \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/include/fuse-lite \
-	-D_REENTRANT 			  \
 	-D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
 
 libfuse_lite_la_LIBADD  = $(LIBFUSE_LITE_LIBS)