diff --git a/xapian-bindings/perl/Makefile.am b/xapian-bindings/perl/Makefile.am
index 4f2e5e4283d..f71579736e5 100644
--- a/xapian-bindings/perl/Makefile.am
+++ b/xapian-bindings/perl/Makefile.am
@@ -55,9 +55,14 @@ BUILT_SOURCES = Xapian.pm xapian_wrap.cc \
 
 auto/Xapian/Xapian$(PERL_SO): Xapian.la
 	@$(MKDIR_P) auto/Xapian
-	$(LIBTOOL) --config > libtoolconfig.tmp
+## GNU libtool and slibtool have different and incompatible usage for --config.
+	if $(LIBTOOL) --config > libtoolconfig.tmp 2>/dev/null; then \
 ## ksh requires a path on the sourced file.
-	. ./libtoolconfig.tmp; cp "$$objdir/Xapian$(PERL_SO)" auto/Xapian
+		. ./libtoolconfig.tmp; \
+		cp "$$objdir/Xapian$(PERL_SO)" auto/Xapian; \
+	else \
+		$(LIBTOOL) --mode=install cp $< $@; \
+	fi;
 	rm -f libtoolconfig.tmp
 
 EXTRA_DIST = perl.i except.i extra.i $(TESTS) \
diff --git a/xapian-bindings/python3/Makefile.am b/xapian-bindings/python3/Makefile.am
index 3c692a9e2d4..9bf01833636 100644
--- a/xapian-bindings/python3/Makefile.am
+++ b/xapian-bindings/python3/Makefile.am
@@ -88,9 +88,14 @@ xapian/__pycache__/__init__.@PYTHON3_CACHE_OPT1_EXT@: xapian/__init__.py xapian/
 
 xapian/_xapian$(PYTHON3_EXT_SUFFIX): _xapian.la
 	$(MKDIR_P) xapian
-	$(LIBTOOL) --config > libtoolconfig.tmp
+## GNU libtool and slibtool have different and incompatible usage for --config.
+	if $(LIBTOOL) --config > libtoolconfig.tmp 2>/dev/null; then \
 ## ksh requires a path on the sourced file.
-	. ./libtoolconfig.tmp; cp $$objdir/_xapian$(PYTHON3_EXT_SUFFIX) xapian
+		. ./libtoolconfig.tmp; \
+		cp $$objdir/_xapian$(PYTHON3_EXT_SUFFIX) xapian; \
+	else \
+		$(LIBTOOL) --mode=install cp $< $@; \
+	fi;
 	rm -f libtoolconfig.tmp
 
 CLEANFILES = \