diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9b8b1ded361..954de6cafac 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -353,16 +353,17 @@ AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
     [ AC_MSG_RESULT([no]) ]
 )
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([if compiler supports named struct initialisers])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if compiler supports compound literals])
 AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(
     [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <stdlib.h>]],
-    [[	struct foo { int bar; int baz; };
-	struct foo blerg = {.bar = 1, .baz = 2};
-	exit((blerg.bar == 1 && blerg.baz == 2) ? 0 : 1);
+    [[  struct foo { int bar; int baz; };
+        void *fooc = &(struct foo){.bar = 1, .baz = 2};
+        struct foo *foo2 = (struct foo *)fooc;
+        return (foo2->bar == 1 && foo2->baz == 2) ? 0 : 1;
     ]])],
     [ AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-      AC_DEFINE(NAMED_STRUCT_INITIALISERS, [1],
-	 [compiler supports named struct initializers]) ],
+      AC_DEFINE(COMPOUND_LITERALS, [1],
+	 [compiler supports compound literals]) ],
     [ AC_MSG_RESULT([no]) ]
 )
 
diff --git a/defines.h b/defines.h
index d1f6ce33e97..3d03b033a3c 100644
--- a/defines.h
+++ b/defines.h
@@ -942,8 +942,8 @@ struct winsize {
 #if defined(VARIABLE_LENGTH_ARRAYS) && defined(VARIABLE_DECLARATION_AFTER_CODE)
 # define USE_SNTRUP761X25519 1
 #endif
-/* The ML-KEM768 imlementation similarly uses named struct initialisers */
-#ifdef NAMED_STRUCT_INITIALISERS
+/* The ML-KEM768 imlementation similarly uses C99 compound literals */
+#ifdef COMPOUND_LITERALS
 # define USE_MLKEM768X25519	1
 #endif
 #endif /* _DEFINES_H */