diff --git a/bin/package b/bin/package
index 32d9938d0..d65a382b4 100755
--- a/bin/package
+++ b/bin/package
@@ -2849,7 +2849,7 @@ cat $INITROOT/$i.sh
 			(
 				cd "$TMPDIR" || exit 3
 				cp $INITROOT/hello.c pkg$$.c || exit 3
-				$cc -o pkg$$.exe pkg$$.c > pkg$$.e 2>&1 || {
+				sh $cc -o pkg$$.exe pkg$$.c > pkg$$.e 2>&1 || {
 					if $cc -Dnew=old -o pkg$$.exe pkg$$.c > /dev/null 2>&1
 					then	echo "$command: ${warn}$CC: must be a C compiler (not C++)" >&2
 					else	cat pkg$$.e
diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/package.sh b/src/cmd/INIT/package.sh
index 8f0516788..d2da9bdbb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/package.sh
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/package.sh
@@ -2848,7 +2848,7 @@ cat $INITROOT/$i.sh
 			(
 				cd "$TMPDIR" || exit 3
 				cp $INITROOT/hello.c pkg$$.c || exit 3
-				$cc -o pkg$$.exe pkg$$.c > pkg$$.e 2>&1 || {
+				sh $cc -o pkg$$.exe pkg$$.c > pkg$$.e 2>&1 || {
 					if $cc -Dnew=old -o pkg$$.exe pkg$$.c > /dev/null 2>&1
 					then	echo "$command: ${warn}$CC: must be a C compiler (not C++)" >&2
 					else	cat pkg$$.e