diff --git a/ppremake/acinclude.m4 b/ppremake/acinclude.m4
index dfaea1f033..c0d0a54311 100644
--- a/ppremake/acinclude.m4
+++ b/ppremake/acinclude.m4
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 AC_DEFUN(AC_HEADER_IOSTREAM,
 [AC_CHECK_HEADERS(iostream,[have_iostream=yes],[have_iostream=no])])
 
+AC_DEFUN(AC_HEADER_SSTREAM,
+[AC_CHECK_HEADERS(sstream,[have_sstream=yes],[have_sstream=no])])
+
 AC_DEFUN(AC_IOS_BINARY,
 [AC_CACHE_CHECK([for ios::binary],
   ac_cv_ios_binary,
diff --git a/ppremake/config_msvc.h b/ppremake/config_msvc.h
index 2126481bcc..4d11866931 100644
--- a/ppremake/config_msvc.h
+++ b/ppremake/config_msvc.h
@@ -6,12 +6,18 @@
    other platforms.
 */
 
+/* Define if you have the ANSI C header files.  */
+#define STDC_HEADERS 1
+
 /* Define if the C++ compiler uses namespaces.  */
 #define HAVE_NAMESPACE 1
 
 /* Define if the C++ iostream library supports ios::binary.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_IOS_BINARY */
 
+/* Define if fstream::open() accepts a third parameter for umask. */
+/* #undef HAVE_OPEN_MASK */
+
 /* Define if we're compiling with Cygwin. */
 /* #undef HAVE_CYGWIN */
 
@@ -22,60 +28,57 @@
    initial setting of the $[PLATFORM] variable. */
 #define PLATFORM "Win32"
 
-/* Define if you have the <alloca.h> header file. */
-/* #undef HAVE_ALLOCA_H */
-
-/* Define if you have the `getopt' function. */
+/* Define if you have the `getopt' function.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_GETOPT */
 
-/* Define if you have the <iostream> header file. */
-#define HAVE_IOSTREAM 1
+/* Define if you have the <alloca.h> header file.  */
+/* #undef HAVE_ALLOCA_H */
 
-/* Define if you have the <io.h> header file. */
-#define HAVE_IO_H 1
-
-/* Define if you have the <malloc.h> header file. */
-#define HAVE_MALLOC_H 1
-
-/* Define if you have the <minmax.h> header file. */
-/* #undef HAVE_MINMAX_H */
-
-/* Define if you have the <dirent.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <dirent.h> header file.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_DIRENT_H */
 
-/* Define if you have the <regex.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <io.h> header file.  */
+#define HAVE_IO_H 1
+
+/* Define if you have the <iostream> header file.  */
+#define HAVE_IOSTREAM 1
+
+/* Define if you have the <malloc.h> header file.  */
+#define HAVE_MALLOC_H 1
+
+/* Define if you have the <minmax.h> header file.  */
+/* #undef HAVE_MINMAX_H */
+
+/* Define if you have the <regex.h> header file.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_REGEX_H */
 
-/* Define if you have the <string.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <sstream> header file.  */
+#define HAVE_SSTREAM 1
+
+/* Define if you have the <string.h> header file.  */
 #define HAVE_STRING_H 1
 
-/* Define if you have the <strstream.h> header file. */
-#define HAVE_STRSTREAM_H 1
-
-/* Define if you have the <sys/types.h> header file. */
-/* #undef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H 1 */
-
-/* Define if you have the <sys/time.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <sys/time.h> header file.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_SYS_TIME_H 1 */
 
-/* Define if you have the <sys/utime.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <sys/types.h> header file.  */
+/* #undef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H 1 */
+
+/* Define if you have the <sys/utime.h> header file.  */
 #define HAVE_SYS_UTIME_H 1
 
-/* Define if you have the <sys/wait.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <sys/wait.h> header file.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_SYS_WAIT_H 1 */
 
-/* Define if you have the <unistd.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <unistd.h> header file.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_UNISTD_H 1 */
 
-/* Define if you have the <utime.h> header file. */
+/* Define if you have the <utime.h> header file.  */
 /* #undef HAVE_UTIME_H 1 */
 
 /* Name of package */
 #define PACKAGE "ppremake"
 
-/* Define if you have the ANSI C header files. */
-#define STDC_HEADERS 1
-
 /****************  UPDATE VERSION NUMBER HERE  ****************
  **         Also be sure to change the version number        **
  **             at the beginning of configure.in.            **
diff --git a/ppremake/configure.in b/ppremake/configure.in
index 8f1c130784..c697a3c233 100644
--- a/ppremake/configure.in
+++ b/ppremake/configure.in
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ AC_SUBST(libm)
 
 dnl Checks for header files.
 AC_HEADER_STDC
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS(malloc.h alloca.h unistd.h utime.h io.h minmax.h dirent.h sys/types.h sys/time.h sys/utime.h sys/wait.h string.h strstream.h regex.h)
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS(malloc.h alloca.h unistd.h utime.h io.h minmax.h dirent.h sys/types.h sys/time.h sys/utime.h sys/wait.h string.h regex.h)
 
 dnl Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(getopt)
 dnl Now we can test some C++-specific features.
 AC_LANG_CPLUSPLUS
 AC_HEADER_IOSTREAM
+AC_HEADER_SSTREAM
 AC_NAMESPACE
 AC_IOS_BINARY
 AC_OPEN_MASK
diff --git a/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx b/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx
index 839f06a31f..2b465f0e87 100644
--- a/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx
+++ b/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx
@@ -1229,8 +1229,15 @@ handle_end_command() {
       // Now compare the file we generated to the file that's already
       // there, if there is one.
 
-      //      nest->_output << ends;
+#ifdef HAVE_SSTREAM
       string generated_file = nest->_output.str();
+#else
+      nest->_output << ends;
+      char *c_str = nest->_output.str();
+      string generated_file = c_str;
+      delete[] c_str;
+#endif  // HAVE_SSTREAM
+
       if (!compare_output(generated_file, nest->_params,
                           (nest->_flags & OF_notouch) != 0)) {
         return false;
diff --git a/ppremake/ppCommandFile.h b/ppremake/ppCommandFile.h
index 3985497bce..0d78f4f633 100644
--- a/ppremake/ppCommandFile.h
+++ b/ppremake/ppCommandFile.h
@@ -167,7 +167,11 @@ private:
     WriteState *_write_state;
     PPScope *_scope;
     string _params;
+#ifdef HAVE_SSTREAM
     ostringstream _output;
+#else
+    ostrstream _output;
+#endif
     vector<string> _words;
     int _flags;
     BlockNesting *_next;
diff --git a/ppremake/ppScope.cxx b/ppremake/ppScope.cxx
index 011a9e19c5..2f9a4fde25 100644
--- a/ppremake/ppScope.cxx
+++ b/ppremake/ppScope.cxx
@@ -3128,10 +3128,11 @@ expand_function(const string &funcname,
   PPScope nested_scope(_named_scopes);
   nested_scope.define_formals(funcname, sub->_formals, params);
 
-  // This won't compile older C++ libraries that do not have
-  // ostrstring.  (The earlier interface was ostrstream, which is
-  // functionally equivalent but slightly different.)
+#ifdef HAVE_SSTREAM
   ostringstream ostr;
+#else
+  ostrstream ostr;
+#endif
 
   PPCommandFile command(&nested_scope);
   command.set_output(&ostr);
@@ -3151,15 +3152,19 @@ expand_function(const string &funcname,
 
   // Now get the output.  We split it into words and then reconnect
   // it, to replace all whitespace with spaces.
-  //  ostr << ends;
+#ifdef HAVE_SSTREAM
   string str = ostr.str();
+#else
+  ostr << ends;
+  char *c_str = ostr.str();
+  string str = c_str;
+  delete[] c_str;
+#endif
 
   vector<string> results;
   tokenize_whitespace(str, results);
 
   string result = repaste(results, " ");
-  //  delete[] str;
-  
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/ppremake/ppremake.h b/ppremake/ppremake.h
index 09fecb0600..2199bd8920 100644
--- a/ppremake/ppremake.h
+++ b/ppremake/ppremake.h
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_IOSTREAM
 #include <iostream>
 #include <fstream>
+#ifdef HAVE_SSTREAM
 #include <sstream>
-#else
+#else  // HAVE_SSTREAM
+#include <strstream>
+#endif  // HAVE_SSTREAM
+#else  // HAVE_IOSTREAM
 #include <iostream.h>
 #include <fstream.h>
 #include <strstream.h>
-#endif
+#endif  // HAVE_IOSTREAM
 
 #if defined(HAVE_CYGWIN) || defined(WIN32_VC)
 // Either Cygwin or Visual C++ is a Win32 environment.