diff --git a/tools/configure b/tools/configure
index 7b223051a0..65ad241757 100755
--- a/tools/configure
+++ b/tools/configure
@@ -4449,7 +4449,7 @@ if test "${with_system_seabios+set}" = set; then :
 
 fi
 
-if test "x$seabios" = "xy"; then :
+if test "x$seabios" = "xy" -o -n "$seabios_path" ; then :
 
 
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
@@ -4472,7 +4472,7 @@ if test "${with_system_ovmf+set}" = set; then :
 
 fi
 
-if test "x$ovmf" = "xy"; then :
+if test "x$ovmf" = "xy" -o -n "$ovmf_path" ; then :
 
 
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
diff --git a/tools/configure.ac b/tools/configure.ac
index f010d7233e..5724ace2df 100644
--- a/tools/configure.ac
+++ b/tools/configure.ac
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([system-seabios],
         *)  seabios_path=$withval ;;
     esac
 ],[])
-AS_IF([test "x$seabios" = "xy"], [
+AS_IF([test "x$seabios" = "xy" -o -n "$seabios_path" ], [
     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SEABIOS_PATH],
                        ["${seabios_path:-$XENFIRMWAREDIR/seabios.bin}"],
                        [SeaBIOS path])
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([system-ovmf],
         *)  ovmf_path=$withval ;;
     esac
 ],[])
-AS_IF([test "x$ovmf" = "xy"], [
+AS_IF([test "x$ovmf" = "xy" -o -n "$ovmf_path" ], [
     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([OVMF_PATH],
                        ["${ovmf_path:-$XENFIRMWAREDIR/ovmf.bin}"],
                        [OVMF path])