diff --git a/libbacktrace/Makefile.am b/libbacktrace/Makefile.am
index 8874f41338a..d200e3a9433 100644
--- a/libbacktrace/Makefile.am
+++ b/libbacktrace/Makefile.am
@@ -145,18 +145,18 @@ endif HAVE_OBJCOPY_DEBUGLINK
 endif HAVE_ELF
 
 elf_%.c: elf.c
+	nlinit=`echo 'nl="'; echo '"'`; eval "$$nlinit"; \
 	SEARCH='#error "Unknown BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE"'; \
-	REPLACE='#undef BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE\
-	#define BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE'; \
+	REPLACE="#undef BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE\\$${nl}#define BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE"; \
 	$(SED) "s/^$$SEARCH\$$/$$REPLACE $*/" \
 		$< \
 		> $@.tmp
 	mv $@.tmp $@
 
 xcoff_%.c: xcoff.c
+	nlinit=`echo 'nl="'; echo '"'`; eval "$$nlinit"; \
 	SEARCH='#error "Unknown BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE"'; \
-	REPLACE='#undef BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE\
-	#define BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE'; \
+	REPLACE="#undef BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE\\$${nl}#define BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE"; \
 	$(SED) "s/^$$SEARCH\$$/$$REPLACE $*/" \
 		$< \
 		> $@.tmp
diff --git a/libbacktrace/Makefile.in b/libbacktrace/Makefile.in
index 2ba8dfa8428..08cdd21fb40 100644
--- a/libbacktrace/Makefile.in
+++ b/libbacktrace/Makefile.in
@@ -2408,18 +2408,18 @@ uninstall-am:
 @HAVE_ELF_TRUE@@HAVE_OBJCOPY_DEBUGLINK_TRUE@@NATIVE_TRUE@	mv $@.tmp $@
 
 @NATIVE_TRUE@elf_%.c: elf.c
+@NATIVE_TRUE@	nlinit=`echo 'nl="'; echo '"'`; eval "$$nlinit"; \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@	SEARCH='#error "Unknown BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE"'; \
-@NATIVE_TRUE@	REPLACE='#undef BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE\
-@NATIVE_TRUE@	#define BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE'; \
+@NATIVE_TRUE@	REPLACE="#undef BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE\\$${nl}#define BACKTRACE_ELF_SIZE"; \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@	$(SED) "s/^$$SEARCH\$$/$$REPLACE $*/" \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@		$< \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@		> $@.tmp
 @NATIVE_TRUE@	mv $@.tmp $@
 
 @NATIVE_TRUE@xcoff_%.c: xcoff.c
+@NATIVE_TRUE@	nlinit=`echo 'nl="'; echo '"'`; eval "$$nlinit"; \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@	SEARCH='#error "Unknown BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE"'; \
-@NATIVE_TRUE@	REPLACE='#undef BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE\
-@NATIVE_TRUE@	#define BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE'; \
+@NATIVE_TRUE@	REPLACE="#undef BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE\\$${nl}#define BACKTRACE_XCOFF_SIZE"; \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@	$(SED) "s/^$$SEARCH\$$/$$REPLACE $*/" \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@		$< \
 @NATIVE_TRUE@		> $@.tmp