diff --git a/build/pkgs/gcc/build-gcc b/build/pkgs/gcc/build-gcc
index d00edaf74e5..106e1f20a79 100755
--- a/build/pkgs/gcc/build-gcc
+++ b/build/pkgs/gcc/build-gcc
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ fi
 ../src/configure \
     --prefix="$SAGE_LOCAL" \
     --with-local-prefix="$SAGE_LOCAL" \
-    $SAGE_CONFIGURE_GMP $SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPFR --with-mpc="$SAGE_LOCAL" \
+    $SAGE_CONFIGURE_GMP $SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPFR $SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPC \
     --with-system-zlib \
     --disable-multilib \
     --disable-nls \
diff --git a/build/pkgs/gdb/spkg-install b/build/pkgs/gdb/spkg-install
index b64e38d0b5d..1c33ff83595 100644
--- a/build/pkgs/gdb/spkg-install
+++ b/build/pkgs/gdb/spkg-install
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ cd src
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L${SAGE_LOCAL}/lib -ltinfo"
 
 sdh_configure \
-    --with-mpc="$SAGE_LOCAL" \
+    $SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPC \
     $SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPFR \
     $SAGE_CONFIGURE_GMP
 sdh_make
diff --git a/build/pkgs/mpc/spkg-configure.m4 b/build/pkgs/mpc/spkg-configure.m4
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9ec14a7c980
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/pkgs/mpc/spkg-configure.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+SAGE_SPKG_CONFIGURE([mpc], [
+    AC_REQUIRE([SAGE_SPKG_CONFIGURE_MPFR])
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([installing mpfr? ])
+    if test x$sage_spkg_install_mpfr = xyes; then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([yes; install mpc as well])
+        sage_spkg_install_mpc=yes
+    else
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+        AC_CHECK_HEADER(mpc.h, [], [sage_spkg_install_mpc=yes])
+        dnl mpc_cmp_abs appeared in MPC 1.1.0
+        AC_SEARCH_LIBS([mpc_cmp_abs], [mpc], [break], [sage_spkg_install_mpc=yes])
+    fi
+], [], [], [
+    if test x$sage_spkg_install_mpc = xyes; then
+        AC_SUBST(SAGE_MPC_PREFIX, ['$SAGE_LOCAL'])
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([using Sage's mpc SPKG])
+    else
+       AC_SUBST(SAGE_MPC_PREFIX, [''])
+       AC_MSG_RESULT([using mpc library from the system])
+    fi
+])
diff --git a/build/pkgs/mpfrcx/spkg-install b/build/pkgs/mpfrcx/spkg-install
index 268fc36a880..faf548f2543 100644
--- a/build/pkgs/mpfrcx/spkg-install
+++ b/build/pkgs/mpfrcx/spkg-install
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cd src
 
 sdh_configure $SAGE_CONFIGURE_GMP $SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPFR \
-              --with-mpc="$SAGE_LOCAL" --disable-static --enable-shared
+              $SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPC --disable-static --enable-shared
 sdh_make
 sdh_make_install
diff --git a/src/bin/sage-env-config.in b/src/bin/sage-env-config.in
index 859984b7caf..36c42d87982 100644
--- a/src/bin/sage-env-config.in
+++ b/src/bin/sage-env-config.in
@@ -58,3 +58,12 @@ if [ -n "$SAGE_MPFR_PREFIX" ]; then
     # their ./configure scripts. Thus we deal with this just as with GMP above. 
     export SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPFR="--with-mpfr=$SAGE_MPFR_PREFIX"
 fi
+
+# The MPC case is very close to the MPFR case above
+# This is usually blank if the system MPC is used, or $SAGE_LOCAL otherwise
+export SAGE_MPC_PREFIX="@SAGE_MPC_PREFIX@"
+if [ -n "$SAGE_MPC_PREFIX" ]; then
+    # Some packages that depend on MPC accept a --with-mpc=<prefix> flag to
+    # their ./configure scripts. Thus we deal with this just as with GMP above. 
+    export SAGE_CONFIGURE_MPC="--with-mpc=$SAGE_MPC_PREFIX"
+fi