diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 3e2d6e4dc9..6ba5ac3880 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ all-local:
 	    ${top_builddir}/scripts/zfs-tests.sh -c
 
 dist-hook:
-	sed ${ac_inplace} -e 's/Release:[[:print:]]*/Release:      $(RELEASE)/' \
+	$(SED) ${ac_inplace} -e 's/Release:[[:print:]]*/Release:      $(RELEASE)/' \
 		$(distdir)/META
 
 if BUILD_LINUX
diff --git a/cmd/arcstat/Makefile.am b/cmd/arcstat/Makefile.am
index 4b79f4bdd0..a0728f9cec 100644
--- a/cmd/arcstat/Makefile.am
+++ b/cmd/arcstat/Makefile.am
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ dist_bin_SCRIPTS = arcstat
 #
 if USING_PYTHON_2
 install-exec-hook:
-	sed ${ac_inplace} -e 's|^#!/usr/bin/env python3|#!/usr/bin/env python2|' \
+	$(SED) ${ac_inplace} -e 's|^#!/usr/bin/env python3|#!/usr/bin/env python2|' \
 	    $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/arcstat
 endif
diff --git a/cmd/dbufstat/Makefile.am b/cmd/dbufstat/Makefile.am
index 10c9fbabbf..f3b7ed809f 100644
--- a/cmd/dbufstat/Makefile.am
+++ b/cmd/dbufstat/Makefile.am
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ dist_bin_SCRIPTS = dbufstat
 #
 if USING_PYTHON_2
 install-exec-hook:
-	sed ${ac_inplace} -e 's|^#!/usr/bin/env python3|#!/usr/bin/env python2|' \
+	$(SED) ${ac_inplace} -e 's|^#!/usr/bin/env python3|#!/usr/bin/env python2|' \
 	    $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/dbufstat
 endif
diff --git a/config/always-sed.m4 b/config/always-sed.m4
index b9c7afd63d..19633e118a 100644
--- a/config/always-sed.m4
+++ b/config/always-sed.m4
@@ -2,15 +2,15 @@ dnl #
 dnl # Set the flags used for sed in-place edits.
 dnl #
 AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_ALWAYS_SED], [
-	ac_inplace=""
-	AC_CACHE_CHECK([for sed --in-place], [ac_cv_path_SED],
-		[AC_PATH_PROGS_FEATURE_CHECK([SED], [sed],
-			[[tmpfile=$(mktemp)
-			  echo foo > $tmpfile
-			  $ac_path_SED --in-place 's#foo#bar#' $tmpfile \
-			  && ac_cv_path_SED=$ac_path_SED
-			  rm $tmpfile]],
-			[ac_inplace="-i ''"])])
-	AS_IF([test "x$ac_inplace" = "x"], [ac_inplace="--in-place"])
-	AC_SUBST([ac_inplace])
+	AC_REQUIRE([AC_PROG_SED])dnl
+	AC_CACHE_CHECK([for sed --in-place], [ac_cv_inplace], [
+		tmpfile=$(mktemp conftest.XXX)
+		echo foo >$tmpfile
+		AS_IF([$SED --in-place 's#foo#bar#' $tmpfile 2>/dev/null],
+		      [ac_cv_inplace="--in-place"],
+		      [$SED -i '' 's#foo#bar#' $tmpfile 2>/dev/null],
+		      [ac_cv_inplace="-i ''"],
+		      [AC_MSG_ERROR([$SED does not support in-place])])
+	])
+	AC_SUBST([ac_inplace], [$ac_cv_inplace])
 ])
diff --git a/tests/test-runner/bin/Makefile.am b/tests/test-runner/bin/Makefile.am
index e7838e43d3..09032ba689 100644
--- a/tests/test-runner/bin/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/test-runner/bin/Makefile.am
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ dist_pkgdata_SCRIPTS = \
 #
 if USING_PYTHON_2
 install-data-hook:
-	sed ${ac_inplace} -e 's|^#!/usr/bin/env python3|#!/usr/bin/env python2|' \
+	$(SED) ${ac_inplace} -e 's|^#!/usr/bin/env python3|#!/usr/bin/env python2|' \
 	    $(DESTDIR)$(pkgdatadir)/test-runner.py \
 	    $(DESTDIR)$(pkgdatadir)/zts-report.py
 endif