--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ AC_CHECK_PROGS(TAR, gnutar gtar tar)
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(LUA, lua)
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(PYTHON, python)
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(PERL, perl)
-AC_CHECK_PROGS(PHP, php)
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(RUBY, ruby)
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(SWIG, swig)
 # Gnome
@@ -153,15 +152,28 @@ if test "X$LUA_VERSION" != X; then
   fi
 fi
 
+dnl Find php-config script.
+AC_ARG_WITH([php-config],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-php-config=PATH], [Path to php-config [php-config]])],
+  [with_php_config=${withval}],
+  [with_php_config=php-config])
+
+if test "${with_php_config}" = "php-config"; then
+  AC_CHECK_PROG(PHP_CONFIG, php-config, php-config)
+elif test -x "${with_php_config}"; then
+  PHP_CONFIG=${with_php_config}
+  AC_SUBST(PHP_CONFIG)
+  AC_MSG_NOTICE([found ${PHP_CONFIG}])
+fi
 
-AC_CHECK_PROG(PHP_CONFIG, php-config, php-config)
 if test "X$PHP_CONFIG" != X ; then
+  PHP_VERSION=`${PHP_CONFIG} --version`
+  PHP_INCLUDES=`${PHP_CONFIG} --includes`
+  PHP_EXTENSION_DIR=`${PHP_CONFIG} --extension-dir`
 
-  PHP_VERSION=`$PHP_CONFIG --version`
-  PHP_INCLUDES=`$PHP_CONFIG --includes`
-  PHP_EXTENSION_DIR=`$PHP_CONFIG --extension-dir`
-
-  if test $PHP_VERSION '>' 5.0.0; then
+  if test $PHP_VERSION '>' 7; then
+    PHP_SWIG="-php7"
+  elif test $PHP_VERSION '>' 5.0.0; then
     PHP_SWIG="-php5"
   else
     PHP_SWIG="-php4"
@@ -200,6 +212,8 @@ if test "X$PHP_CONFIG" != X ; then
   AC_MSG_RESULT(compile '$PHP_CFLAGS' link '$PHP_LDFLAGS' suffix $PHP_SO_SUFFIX)
 
 else
+  AC_MSG_WARN([php-config not found])
+
   # This allows 'make clean' in the php directory to work when
   # php isn't available
   PHP=:
@@ -445,13 +459,17 @@ if test "X$with_php" != Xno ; then
   with_php=yes
 fi
 
-PHP_VERSION=`php-config --version 2>/dev/null`
-if test "X$PHP_VERSION" != X; then
-  languages_available="$languages_available php($PHP_VERSION)"
-  if test $with_php = yes; then
-    languages="$languages php"
+if test "X${PHP_VERSION}" != "X"; then
+  languages_available="$languages_available php(${PHP_VERSION})"
+fi
+
+if test ${with_php} = yes; then
+  if test "X${PHP_VERSION}" = "X"; then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([Failed to detect PHP version])
   fi
+  languages="$languages php"
 fi
+
 AC_MSG_RESULT($with_php)
 AC_SUBST(PHP_VERSION)