diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 0fe450c0d2..bf1fc69412 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+2713.	[port]		aix/powerpc: 'asm("ics");' needs non standard assembler
+			flags.
+
 	--- 9.7.0b1 released ---
 
 2713.	[bug]		powerpc: atomic operations missing asm("ics") /
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 27e0d87524..6d116c4eae 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ AC_DIVERT_PUSH(1)dnl
 esyscmd([sed "s/^/# /" COPYRIGHT])dnl
 AC_DIVERT_POP()dnl
 
-AC_REVISION($Revision: 1.483 $)
+AC_REVISION($Revision: 1.484 $)
 
 AC_INIT(lib/dns/name.c)
 AC_PREREQ(2.59)
@@ -2431,7 +2431,37 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(atomic,
 			enable_atomic="autodetect")
 case "$enable_atomic" in
 	yes|''|autodetect)
-		use_atomic=yes
+		case "$host" in
+		powerpc-ibm-aix*)
+			if test "X$GCC" = "Xyes"; then
+				AC_MSG_CHECKING([if asm("isc"); works])
+				AC_TRY_COMPILE(,[
+				main() { asm("ics"); exit(0); }
+				],
+				[AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+				 use_atomic=yes],
+				[
+				saved_cflags="$CFLAGS"
+				CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wa,-many"
+				AC_TRY_RUN([
+				main() { asm("ics"); exit(0); }
+				],
+				[AC_MSG_RESULT([yes, required -Wa,-many])
+				 use_atomic=yes],
+				[AC_MSG_RESULT([no, use_atomic disabled])
+				 CFLAGS="$saved_cflags"
+				 use_atomic=no],
+				[AC_MSG_RESULT([cross compile, assume yes])
+				 CFLAGS="$saved_cflags"
+				 use_atomic=yes])
+				]
+				)
+			fi
+			;;
+		*)
+			use_atomic=yes
+			;;
+		esac
 		;;
 	no)
 		use_atomic=no
@@ -2896,7 +2926,7 @@ AC_SUBST_FILE(BIND9_MAKE_RULES)
 BIND9_MAKE_RULES=$BIND9_TOP_BUILDDIR/make/rules
 
 . $srcdir/version
-BIND9_VERSION="VERSION=${MAJORVER}.${MINORVER}.${PATCHVER}${RELEASETYPE}${RELEASEVER}"
+BIND9_VERSION="VERSION=${MAJORVER}.${MINORVER}${PATCHVER:+.}${PATCHVER}${RELEASETYPE}${RELEASEVER}"
 AC_SUBST(BIND9_VERSION)
 
 if test -z "$ac_configure_args"; then