diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9467a3f31ee..dc727b9be2f 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5390,6 +5390,8 @@ fi
 done
 test -n "$SED" || SED="/bin/sed"
 
+${SED} --version | grep "GNU sed" && set SED="$SED --posix"
+
 ## 'which' is not POSIX, and might be a shell builtin or alias
 ##  (but should not be in 'sh')
 for ac_prog in which
@@ -27114,7 +27116,7 @@ _ACEOF
 # flags.
 r_save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
 CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $r_verb"
-(eval echo $as_me:27119: \"$ac_link\") >&5
+(eval echo $as_me:27121: \"$ac_link\") >&5
 r_c_v_output=`eval $ac_link 5>&1 2>&1 | grep -v 'Driving:'`
 echo "$r_c_v_output" >&5
 CFLAGS=$r_save_CFLAGS
@@ -27190,7 +27192,7 @@ _ACEOF
 # flags.
 r_save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
 CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $r_cv_prog_c_v"
-(eval echo $as_me:27195: \"$ac_link\") >&5
+(eval echo $as_me:27197: \"$ac_link\") >&5
 r_c_v_output=`eval $ac_link 5>&1 2>&1 | grep -v 'Driving:'`
 echo "$r_c_v_output" >&5
 CFLAGS=$r_save_CFLAGS
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ac98f9747bd..100e2f854b4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -680,6 +680,7 @@ R_PROG_INSTALL
 
 ## we would like a POSIX sed, and need one on Solaris
 AC_PATH_PROGS(SED, sed, /bin/sed, [/usr/xpg4/bin:$PATH])
+
 ## 'which' is not POSIX, and might be a shell builtin or alias
 ##  (but should not be in 'sh')
 AC_PATH_PROGS(WHICH, which, which)
diff --git a/src/library/base/man/Rhome.Rd b/src/library/base/man/Rhome.Rd
index b474214aba3..230b2cd7c14 100644
--- a/src/library/base/man/Rhome.Rd
+++ b/src/library/base/man/Rhome.Rd
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ R.home(component = "home")
 
   The paths to components often are subdirectories of \var{R_HOME} but
   need not be:  \code{"doc"}, \code{"include"} and \code{"share"} are
-  not for a binary Debian/Ubuntu installation of \R.
+  not for some Linux binary installations of \R.
 }
 \value{
   A character string giving the \R home directory or path to a