diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a8bc34c..5cf26ee 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(
 	[enable_distonly="no"]
 )
 
+AC_ARG_VAR([MAX_CONFIGS], [specify the maximum number of configs @<:@default=50@:>@])
+if test -z "$MAX_CONFIGS"; then
+	MAX_CONFIGS=50
+fi
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([MAX_CONFIGS], [$MAX_CONFIGS], [Maximum number of config files supported.])
+
 case "$host" in
 	*-mingw*)
 		CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -DWIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN"
diff --git a/options.h b/options.h
index ef05634..cc49d2b 100644
--- a/options.h
+++ b/options.h
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ typedef struct connection connection_t;
  * including the option name itself.
  */
 #define MAX_PARMS           5   /* May number of parameters per option */
-#define MAX_CONFIGS         50  /* Max number of config-files to read */
 #define MAX_CONFIG_SUBDIRS  50  /* Max number of subdirs to scan for configs */