diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index e9261c5ccdfd..ed93a90af543 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -1148,6 +1148,8 @@ Tests
 Build
 -----
 
+- Issue #17550: Fix the --enable-profiling configure switch.
+
 - Issue #17425: Build with openssl 1.0.1d on Windows.
 
 - Issue #16754: Fix the incorrect shared library extension on linux. Introduce
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index aefad2688083..7d8a65526ace 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5534,7 +5534,7 @@ fi
 
 if test "x$enable_profiling" = xyes; then
   ac_save_cc="$CC"
-  CC="$(CC) -pg"
+  CC="$CC -pg"
   cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
 /* end confdefs.h.  */
 int main() { return 0; }
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 12dde47be4c7..caef808348f6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(profiling,
               AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-profiling], [enable C-level code profiling]))
 if test "x$enable_profiling" = xyes; then
   ac_save_cc="$CC"
-  CC="$(CC) -pg"
+  CC="$CC -pg"
   AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_SOURCE([[int main() { return 0; }]])],
     [],
     [enable_profiling=no])