diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 979615f7d..ad934a211 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -165,20 +165,20 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([geteuid getuid link memmove memset mkstemp strchr strrchr \
 AC_FUNC_ALLOCA
 dnl Old HAS_* names used in os/*.c.
 AC_CHECK_FUNC([getdtablesize],
-	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETDTABLESIZE, 1, [Have the `getdtablesize' function.]))
+	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETDTABLESIZE, 1, [Have the 'getdtablesize' function.]))
 AC_CHECK_FUNC([getifaddrs],
-	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETIFADDRS, 1, [Have the `getifaddrs' function.]))
+	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETIFADDRS, 1, [Have the 'getifaddrs' function.]))
 AC_CHECK_FUNC([getpeereid],
-	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETPEEREID, 1, [Have the `getpeereid' function.]))
+	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETPEEREID, 1, [Have the 'getpeereid' function.]))
 AC_CHECK_FUNC([getpeerucred],
-	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETPEERUCRED, 1, [Have the `getpeerucred' function.]))
+	AC_DEFINE(HAS_GETPEERUCRED, 1, [Have the 'getpeerucred' function.]))
 AC_CHECK_FUNC([strlcat], HAVE_STRLCAT=yes, HAVE_STRLCAT=no)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(NEED_STRLCAT, [test x$HAVE_STRLCAT = xno])	
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(NEED_VSNPRINTF, [test x$HAVE_VSNPRINTF = xno])
 
 dnl Check for mmap support for Xvfb
-AC_CHECK_FUNC([mmap], AC_DEFINE(HAS_MMAP, 1, [Have the `mmap' function.]))
+AC_CHECK_FUNC([mmap], AC_DEFINE(HAS_MMAP, 1, [Have the 'mmap' function.]))
 
 dnl Find the math libary
 AC_CHECK_LIB(m, sqrt)
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ XKB_LIB='$(top_builddir)/xkb/libxkb.la'
 XKB_STUB_LIB='$(top_builddir)/xkb/libxkbstubs.la'
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNC(strcasecmp, [], AC_DEFINE([NEED_STRCASECMP], 1,
-                                        [Do not have `strcasecmp'.]))
+                                        [Do not have 'strcasecmp'.]))
 
 if test "x$NULL_ROOT_CURSOR" = xyes; then
         AC_DEFINE(NULL_ROOT_CURSOR, 1, [Use an empty root cursor])