diff --git a/Shorewall/compiler b/Shorewall/compiler
index 9d95dd1a5..9a8eefd85 100755
--- a/Shorewall/compiler
+++ b/Shorewall/compiler
@@ -5668,13 +5668,13 @@ case "$COMMAND" in
     check)
 	[ $# -ne 1 ] && usage
 	do_initialize
-	[ -n "$SHOREWALL_PERL" ] && exec perl $debug /usr/share/shorewall-perl/compiler.pl || compile_firewall
+	[ "$SHOREWALL_COMPILER" = perl ] && exec perl $debug /usr/share/shorewall-perl/compiler.pl || compile_firewall
 	;;
 
     compile)
 	[ $# -ne 2 ] && usage
 	do_initialize
-	[ -n "$SHOREWALL_PERL" ] && exec perl $debug /usr/share/shorewall-perl/compiler.pl $2 || compile_firewall $2
+	[ "$SHOREWALL_COMPILER" = perl ] && exec perl $debug /usr/share/shorewall-perl/compiler.pl $2 || compile_firewall $2
 	;;
 
     call)
diff --git a/Shorewall/lib.base b/Shorewall/lib.base
index 30db070fc..092394940 100644
--- a/Shorewall/lib.base
+++ b/Shorewall/lib.base
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ lib_load() # $1 = Name of the Library, $2 = Error Message heading if the library
     eval loaded=\$LIB_${1}_LOADED
 
     if [ -z "$loaded" ]; then
-	if [ -n "$SHOREWALL_PERL" ]; then
+	if [ "$SHOREWALL_COMPILER" = perl ]; then
 	    eval LIB_${1}_LOADED=Yes
 	    return
 	fi
diff --git a/Shorewall/lib.config b/Shorewall/lib.config
index db278db07..7edf1b7ea 100644
--- a/Shorewall/lib.config
+++ b/Shorewall/lib.config
@@ -1962,7 +1962,14 @@ do_initialize() {
     TC_EXPERT=$(added_param_value_no TC_EXPERT $TC_EXPERT)
     USE_ACTIONS=$(added_param_value_yes USE_ACTIONS $USE_ACTIONS)
     EXPORTPARAMS=$(added_param_value_yes EXPORTPARAMS $EXPORTPARAMS)
-    SHOREWALL_PERL=$(added_param_value_no SHOREWALL_PERL $SHOREWALL_PERL)
+
+    case "${SHOREWALL_COMPILER:=shell}" in
+	shell|perl)
+	    ;;
+	*)
+	    startup_error "Invalid value ($SHOREWALL_COMPILER) for SHOREWALL_COMPILER"
+	    ;;
+    esac
 
     [ -n "$USE_ACTIONS" ] && lib_load actions "USE_ACTIONS=Yes"
 
@@ -2108,7 +2115,7 @@ do_initialize() {
 	strip_file_and_lib_load tcrules tcrules
 	strip_file tos
 	strip_file_and_lib_load tunnels tunnels
-	if [ -n "$SHOREWALL_PERL" ]; then
+	if [ "$SHOREWALL_COMPILER" = perl ]; then
 	    report_capabilities1 > $TMP_DIR/capabilities
 	    export TMP_DIR
 	    export CONFIG_PATH
diff --git a/Shorewall/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/shorewall.conf
index b8980c32d..547f70782 100644
--- a/Shorewall/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/shorewall.conf
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ STARTUP_ENABLED=No
 VERBOSITY=1
 
 ###############################################################################
-#                  P E R L - B A S E D  C O M P I L E R
-#      (setting this to Yes requires installation of Shorewall-perl)
+#                              C O M P I L E R
+#      (setting this to 'perl' requires installation of Shorewall-perl)
 ###############################################################################
 
-SHOREWALL_PERL=No
+SHOREWALL_COMPILER=shell
 
 ###############################################################################
 #			       L O G G I N G