diff --git a/config/ac-macros/compiler_flag.m4 b/config/ac-macros/compiler_flag.m4
index 88097c7a62e..ce2ce6cbdfa 100644
--- a/config/ac-macros/compiler_flag.m4
+++ b/config/ac-macros/compiler_flag.m4
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_SYS_COMPILER_FLAG],
   AC_CACHE_VAL(mysql_cv_option_$2,
   [
     CFLAGS="[$]OLD_CFLAGS $1"
-    AC_TRY_RUN([int main(){exit(0);}],mysql_cv_option_$2=yes,mysql_cv_option_$2=no,mysql_cv_option_$2=no)
+    AC_TRY_LINK([int main(){exit(0);}],mysql_cv_option_$2=yes,mysql_cv_option_$2=no,mysql_cv_option_$2=no)
  ])
 
   CFLAGS="[$]OLD_CFLAGS"
diff --git a/config/ac-macros/misc.m4 b/config/ac-macros/misc.m4
index a20db96a950..0619a52fbbf 100644
--- a/config/ac-macros/misc.m4
+++ b/config/ac-macros/misc.m4
@@ -450,29 +450,6 @@ AC_DEFINE([HAVE_BOOL], [1], [bool is not defined by all C++ compilators])
 fi
 ])dnl
 
-AC_DEFUN([MYSQL_STACK_DIRECTION],
- [AC_CACHE_CHECK(stack direction for C alloca, ac_cv_c_stack_direction,
- [AC_TRY_RUN([#include <stdlib.h>
- int find_stack_direction ()
- {
-   static char *addr = 0;
-   auto char dummy;
-   if (addr == 0)
-     {
-       addr = &dummy;
-       return find_stack_direction ();
-     }
-   else
-     return (&dummy > addr) ? 1 : -1;
- }
- int main ()
- {
-   exit (find_stack_direction() < 0);
- }], ac_cv_c_stack_direction=1, ac_cv_c_stack_direction=-1,
-   ac_cv_c_stack_direction=0)])
- AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(STACK_DIRECTION, $ac_cv_c_stack_direction)
-])dnl
-
 AC_DEFUN([MYSQL_CHECK_LONGLONG_TO_FLOAT],
 [
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(if conversion of longlong to float works)
@@ -488,7 +465,9 @@ int main()
   fprintf(file,"%g\n",f);
   fclose(file);
   return (0);
-}], ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float=`cat conftestval`, ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float=0, ifelse([$2], , , ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float=$2))])dnl
+}], ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float=`cat conftestval`,
+    ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float=0,
+    ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float="yes")])dnl  # Cross compiling, assume can convert
 if test "$ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float" = "1" -o "$ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float" = "yes"
 then
   ac_cv_conv_longlong_to_float=yes
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index e3c6edb9b0f..7c18aeb4fc6 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -264,7 +264,10 @@ AC_TRY_RUN([
                 AC_MSG_RESULT("ptr")],
                [AC_DEFINE(SPRINTF_RETURNS_GARBAGE, [1], [Broken sprintf])
                 AC_MSG_RESULT("garbage")])
-   ])
+   ],
+   # Cross compile, assume POSIX
+   [AC_DEFINE(SPRINTF_RETURNS_INT, [1], [POSIX sprintf])
+    AC_MSG_RESULT("int (we assume)")])
     ;;
 esac
 
@@ -1784,8 +1787,6 @@ MYSQL_TYPE_ACCEPT
 #---END:
 # Figure out what type of struct rlimit to use with setrlimit
 MYSQL_TYPE_STRUCT_RLIMIT
-# Find where the stack goes
-MYSQL_STACK_DIRECTION
 # We want to skip alloca on irix unconditionally. It may work on some version..
 MYSQL_FUNC_ALLOCA
 # Do struct timespec have members tv_sec or ts_sec
diff --git a/include/config-netware.h b/include/config-netware.h
index f287699249b..f7f494b519c 100644
--- a/include/config-netware.h
+++ b/include/config-netware.h
@@ -112,9 +112,6 @@ extern "C" {
 /* signal by closing the sockets */
 #define SIGNAL_WITH_VIO_CLOSE 1
 
-/* On NetWare, stack grows towards lower address*/
-#define STACK_DIRECTION -1
-
 /* On NetWare, we need to set stack size for threads, otherwise default 16K is used */
 #define NW_THD_STACKSIZE 65536
 
diff --git a/include/config-win.h b/include/config-win.h
index 8d6f8885626..d34e3bf791e 100644
--- a/include/config-win.h
+++ b/include/config-win.h
@@ -250,8 +250,6 @@ inline double ulonglong2double(ulonglong value)
 #endif
 
 
-#define STACK_DIRECTION -1
-
 /* Optimized store functions for Intel x86 */
 
 #ifndef _WIN64
diff --git a/sql/sql_parse.cc b/sql/sql_parse.cc
index 06419010a24..039bdbbdfdd 100644
--- a/sql/sql_parse.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_parse.cc
@@ -4996,17 +4996,14 @@ bool check_merge_table_access(THD *thd, char *db,
 	Check stack size; Send error if there isn't enough stack to continue
 ****************************************************************************/
 
-#if STACK_DIRECTION < 0
-#define used_stack(A,B) (long) (A - B)
-#else
-#define used_stack(A,B) (long) (B - A)
-#endif
+#ifndef EMBEDDED_LIBRARY
+
+#define used_stack(A,B) (long)(A > B ? A - B : B - A)
 
 #ifndef DBUG_OFF
 long max_stack_used;
 #endif
 
-#ifndef EMBEDDED_LIBRARY
 /*
   Note: The 'buf' parameter is necessary, even if it is unused here.
   - fix_fields functions has a "dummy" buffer large enough for the