diff --git a/qse/configure b/qse/configure
index f178097b..bc99e22d 100755
--- a/qse/configure
+++ b/qse/configure
@@ -21043,37 +21043,6 @@ fi
 rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext \
     conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_ext
 
-{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for PATH_MAX" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for PATH_MAX... " >&6; }
-cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-	#include <limits.h>
-int
-main ()
-{
-;;;;;;;;;;
-PATH_MAX
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-
-_ACEOF
-qse_cv_path_max="`$ac_cv_prog_CPP conftest.c | awk '/;;;;;;;;;;/ { start=1 } /^(0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9)(0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9)*/ { if (start == 1) { print $0; start++; } }'`"
-if test "x${qse_cv_path_max}" = "x"
-then
-		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: not defined" >&5
-$as_echo "not defined" >&6; }
-else
-	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: ${qse_cv_path_max}" >&5
-$as_echo "${qse_cv_path_max}" >&6; }
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define QSE_PATH_MAX ${qse_cv_path_max}
-_ACEOF
-
-fi
-
 # The cast to long int works around a bug in the HP C Compiler
 # version HP92453-01 B.11.11.23709.GP, which incorrectly rejects
 # declarations like `int a3[[(sizeof (unsigned char)) >= 0]];'.
@@ -21917,6 +21886,33 @@ _ACEOF
 
 
 
+
+
+		{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking numeric value of PATH_MAX" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking numeric value of PATH_MAX... " >&6; }
+if ${ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if ac_fn_c_compute_int "$LINENO" "(PATH_MAX)" "ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX"        "#include <limits.h>
+"; then :
+
+else
+  ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX=0
+fi
+
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX" >&5
+$as_echo "$ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX" >&6; }
+
+
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define NUMVALOF_PATH_MAX $ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX
+_ACEOF
+
+
+
+
 if test "x${platform_win32}" = "xyes"
 then
 	# The cast to long int works around a bug in the HP C Compiler
@@ -22971,6 +22967,14 @@ cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
 #define QSE_MBLEN_MAX ${ax_cv_numvalof_MB_LEN_MAX}
 _ACEOF
 
+if test ${ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX} -gt 0
+then
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define QSE_PATH_MAX ${ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX}
+_ACEOF
+
+fi
 
 
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
diff --git a/qse/configure.ac b/qse/configure.ac
index e51a3e3a..41308a47 100644
--- a/qse/configure.ac
+++ b/qse/configure.ac
@@ -380,25 +380,6 @@ AC_TRY_LINK(
 	[AC_MSG_RESULT(no)]
 )
 
-dnl check the defined value of PATH_MAX in limits.h. 
-dnl look for a numeric value of 2 or more digits after preprocessing.
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([for PATH_MAX])
-AC_LANG_CONFTEST([
-	AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
-		[#include <limits.h>],
-		[;;;;;;;;;;
-PATH_MAX])
-])
-qse_cv_path_max="`$ac_cv_prog_CPP conftest.c | awk '/;;;;;;;;;;/ { start=1 } /^(0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9)(0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9)*/ { if (start == 1) { print $0; start++; } }'`"
-if test "x${qse_cv_path_max}" = "x"
-then
-	dnl either not defined or defined to a non-numeric value
-	AC_MSG_RESULT(not defined)
-else
-	AC_MSG_RESULT(${qse_cv_path_max})
-	AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QSE_PATH_MAX, ${qse_cv_path_max}, [PATH_MAX])
-fi
-
 dnl check the size of primitive data types
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(char,,[[]])
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(short,,[[]])
@@ -428,6 +409,7 @@ AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(off64_t)
 
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(mbstate_t,,[#include <wchar.h>])
 AX_CHECK_NUMVALOF(MB_LEN_MAX,[32],[#include <limits.h>])
+AX_CHECK_NUMVALOF(PATH_MAX,[0],[#include <limits.h>])
 
 if test "x${platform_win32}" = "xyes"
 then
@@ -641,6 +623,10 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QSE_SIZEOF_OFF64_T, ${ac_cv_sizeof_off64_t}, [sizeof(off64_t)
 
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QSE_SIZEOF_MBSTATE_T, ${ac_cv_sizeof_mbstate_t}, [sizeof(mbstate_t)])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QSE_MBLEN_MAX, ${ax_cv_numvalof_MB_LEN_MAX}, [MB_LEN_MAX])
+if test ${ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX} -gt 0
+then
+	AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QSE_PATH_MAX, ${ax_cv_numvalof_PATH_MAX}, [PATH_MAX])
+fi
 
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QSE_SIZEOF_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_IN, ${ac_cv_sizeof_struct_sockaddr_in}, [sizeof(struct sockaddr_in)])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QSE_SIZEOF_STRUCT_SOCKADDR_IN6, ${ac_cv_sizeof_struct_sockaddr_in6}, [sizeof(struct sockaddr_in6)])
diff --git a/qse/include/qse/config.h.in b/qse/include/qse/config.h.in
index 705ba79a..343e755b 100644
--- a/qse/include/qse/config.h.in
+++ b/qse/include/qse/config.h.in
@@ -869,6 +869,9 @@
 /* The size of `MB_LEN_MAX', as computed by valueof. */
 #undef NUMVALOF_MB_LEN_MAX
 
+/* The size of `PATH_MAX', as computed by valueof. */
+#undef NUMVALOF_PATH_MAX
+
 /* Name of package */
 #undef PACKAGE