diff --git a/support/configure.pl b/support/configure.pl
index 78e5213..757c419 100644
--- a/support/configure.pl
+++ b/support/configure.pl
@@ -228,6 +228,19 @@ sub build {
    `$CXX $CXXflags -o polymake_configure polymake_configure.cc $LDflags $Libs 2>&1`
 }
 
+sub compiler_has_define {
+   my $def=shift;
+   my $build_error = compile <<CODE;
+int main(void) {
+   \#ifndef $def
+   syntax error
+   \#endif
+   return 0;
+}
+CODE
+   return ($?==0);
+}
+
 sub v_cmp($$) {
    eval "v$_[0] cmp v$_[1]";
 }
@@ -266,7 +279,14 @@ if (defined $CC) {
    }
 }
 
-if ($CXX =~ m/\b[ei]cpc$/) {
+# Try to determine if this is a supported C++ compiler
+
+if (compiler_has_define '__clang__') {
+   # Clang++ also defines __GNUC__, and also in other regards "pretends" to be GCC.
+   # Hence
+   die "Unsupported C++ compiler $CXX\n";
+} elsif (compiler_has_define '__INTEL_COMPILER') {
+   # Intel C++ compiler
    local $CXXflags="-V";
    $_=compile 'int main() { return 0; }';
    ($ICCversion)= /Version\s+([\d.]+)/
@@ -276,13 +296,17 @@ if ($CXX =~ m/\b[ei]cpc$/) {
    if (v_cmp($ICCversion,"10.0")<0) {
       die "C++ compiler $CXX says its version is $ICCversion, while the minimal required version is 10.0\n";
    }
-
-} else {
-   ($GCCversion)= `$CXX -dumpspecs` =~ /\*version:\n([\d.]+)/s
+   print "Compiler is Intel C++ $ICCversion\n";
+} elsif (compiler_has_define '__GNUC__') {
+   # GNU C++
+   ($GCCversion)= `$CXX -dumpversion` =~ /([\d.]+)/s
    or die "Can't determine the version of C++ compiler $CXX\n";
    if (v_cmp($GCCversion,"4.0")<0) {
-      die "C++ compiler $CXX says its version is $GCCversion, which is rather out-of-date.\n";
+      die "C++ compiler $CXX says its version is $GCCversion, while the minimal required version is 4.0\n";
    }
+   print "Compiler is GNU C++ $GCCversion\n";
+} else {
+   die "Unsupported C++ compiler $CXX\n";
 }
 
 $PERL     =$vars{PERL}     || $^X;