diff --git a/Shorewall-core/configure b/Shorewall-core/configure
index 522cb443b..e40a09c44 100755
--- a/Shorewall-core/configure
+++ b/Shorewall-core/configure
@@ -158,6 +158,9 @@ else
     if [ ! -f $rcfile ]; then
 	echo "ERROR: $vendor is not a recognized host type" >&2
 	exit 1
+    elif [ $vendor = default ]; then
+	params[HOST]=linux
+	vendor=linux
     fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/Shorewall-core/configure.pl b/Shorewall-core/configure.pl
index 25e7505d4..466f35a93 100755
--- a/Shorewall-core/configure.pl
+++ b/Shorewall-core/configure.pl
@@ -82,7 +82,11 @@ unless ( defined $vendor ) {
 
 if ( defined $vendor ) {
     $rcfilename = $vendor eq 'linux' ? 'shorewallrc.default' : 'shorewallrc.' . $vendor;
-    die qq("ERROR: $vendor" is not a recognized host type) unless -f $rcfilename;
+    unless ( -f $rcfilename ) {
+	die qq("ERROR: $vendor" is not a recognized host type);
+    } elsif ( $vendor eq 'default' ) {
+	$params{HOST} = $vendor = 'linux';
+    }
 } else {
     if ( -f '/etc/debian_version' ) {
 	$vendor = 'debian';