diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 6e4851ad..eba8a7a3 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -783,6 +783,21 @@ if test "$enable_perl" = "yes"; then
 		    cf_result=yes, cf_result=no)
 fi
 
+if test "$cf_result"; then AC_MSG_RESULT($cf_result); fi
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether POPpx works without an n_a variable])
+AC_TRY_COMPILE([
+#include <EXTERN.h>
+#include <perl.h>
+extern PerlInterpreter *my_perl;
+],
+	[dSP; (void) POPpx;],
+	[AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+AC_DEFINE([CONFIG_PERL_POPPX_WITHOUT_N_A], [1],
+		[Define if using Perl 5.8.8 or later, where the "POPpx" macro
+no longer needs an "n_a" variable like it did in 5.8.7])],
+	[AC_MSG_RESULT([no])])
+
 if test "$cf_result" != "yes"; then
 	EL_RESTORE_FLAGS
 else
@@ -793,7 +808,6 @@ else
 	AC_SUBST(PERL_CFLAGS)
 fi
 
-if test "$cf_result"; then AC_MSG_RESULT($cf_result); fi
 dnl ===================================================================
 dnl Check for Python
 dnl ===================================================================
diff --git a/src/scripting/perl/hooks.c b/src/scripting/perl/hooks.c
index 9a833124..487945fa 100644
--- a/src/scripting/perl/hooks.c
+++ b/src/scripting/perl/hooks.c
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ do_script_hook_goto_url(struct session *ses, unsigned char **url)
 	if (SvTRUE(ERRSV)) count = 0;	/* FIXME: error message ? */
 	SPAGAIN;
 	if (count == 1) {
+#ifndef CONFIG_PERL_POPPX_WITHOUT_N_A
+		STRLEN n_a;	/* Used by POPpx macro. */
+#endif
 		unsigned char *new_url = POPpx;
 
 		if (new_url) {
@@ -89,6 +92,9 @@ do_script_hook_follow_url(unsigned char **url)
 	if (SvTRUE(ERRSV)) count = 0;	/* FIXME: error message ? */
 	SPAGAIN;
 	if (count == 1) {
+#ifndef CONFIG_PERL_POPPX_WITHOUT_N_A
+		STRLEN n_a;	/* Used by POPpx macro. */
+#endif
 		unsigned char *new_url = POPpx;
 
 		if (new_url) {
@@ -185,6 +191,9 @@ do_script_hook_get_proxy(unsigned char **new_proxy_url, unsigned char *url)
 			(void) POPs;
 			mem_free_set(new_proxy_url, NULL);
 		} else {
+#ifndef CONFIG_PERL_POPPX_WITHOUT_N_A
+			STRLEN n_a; /* Used by POPpx macro. */
+#endif
 			unsigned char *new_url = POPpx;
 
 			mem_free_set(new_proxy_url, stracpy(new_url));