diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2021-11-15-16-42-10.bpo-45808.Aoe8Fn.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2021-11-15-16-42-10.bpo-45808.Aoe8Fn.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..a7e55b7a1382d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2021-11-15-16-42-10.bpo-45808.Aoe8Fn.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Correct check for ``crypt_r`` on platforms without ``crypt.h``.
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 53dc4a23f80631..b79ab18ff51b79 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -14052,9 +14052,9 @@ done
 
 
 # We search for both crypt and crypt_r as one or the other may be defined
-# This gets us our -lcrypt in LIBS when required on the target platform.
-# Save/restore LIBS to avoid linking libpython with libcrypt.
+# Some platforms have crypt.h, others like FreeBSD have crypt*() in unistd.h
 LIBS_SAVE=$LIBS
+LIBCRYPT=
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for library containing crypt_r" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for library containing crypt_r... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_search_crypt_r+:} false; then :
@@ -14109,6 +14109,13 @@ ac_res=$ac_cv_search_crypt_r
 if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
   test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
 
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_CRYPT_R 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+  if test "$ac_cv_search_crypt_r" != "none required"; then
+    LIBCRYPT="$ac_cv_search_crypt_r"
+  fi
+
 fi
 
 LIBS="$LIBS_SAVE"
@@ -14166,35 +14173,17 @@ ac_res=$ac_cv_search_crypt
 if test "$ac_res" != no; then :
   test "$ac_res" = "none required" || LIBS="$ac_res $LIBS"
 
-fi
-
-
-ac_fn_c_check_func "$LINENO" "crypt_r" "ac_cv_func_crypt_r"
-if test "x$ac_cv_func_crypt_r" = xyes; then :
-  cat confdefs.h - <<_ACEOF >conftest.$ac_ext
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-#include <crypt.h>
-
-int
-main ()
-{
-
-struct crypt_data d;
-char *r = crypt_r("", "", &d);
-
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-if ac_fn_c_try_compile "$LINENO"; then :
-
-$as_echo "#define HAVE_CRYPT_R 1" >>confdefs.h
+  if test "$ac_cv_search_crypt" != "none required"; then
+    LIBCRYPT="$ac_cv_search_crypt"
+  fi
 
 fi
-rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
 
-fi
+
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for crypt(_r) linker argument" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for crypt(_r) linker argument... " >&6; }
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $LIBCRYPT" >&5
+$as_echo "$LIBCRYPT" >&6; }
 
 LIBS=$LIBS_SAVE
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f43030e481068e..545f7b8c6a15b9 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4072,23 +4072,25 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(setpgrp,
 )
 
 # We search for both crypt and crypt_r as one or the other may be defined
-# This gets us our -lcrypt in LIBS when required on the target platform.
-# Save/restore LIBS to avoid linking libpython with libcrypt.
+# Some platforms have crypt.h, others like FreeBSD have crypt*() in unistd.h
 LIBS_SAVE=$LIBS
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS(crypt_r, crypt)
+LIBCRYPT=
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS([crypt_r], [crypt], [
+  AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CRYPT_R, 1, [Define if you have the crypt_r() function.])
+  if test "$ac_cv_search_crypt_r" != "none required"; then
+    LIBCRYPT="$ac_cv_search_crypt_r"
+  fi
+])
 LIBS="$LIBS_SAVE"
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS(crypt, crypt)
+AC_SEARCH_LIBS([crypt], [crypt], [
+  if test "$ac_cv_search_crypt" != "none required"; then
+    LIBCRYPT="$ac_cv_search_crypt"
+  fi
+])
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for crypt(_r) linker argument])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$LIBCRYPT])
 
-AC_CHECK_FUNC(crypt_r,
-  AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
-#include <crypt.h>
-]], [[
-struct crypt_data d;
-char *r = crypt_r("", "", &d);
-]])],
-    [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_CRYPT_R, 1, [Define if you have the crypt_r() function.])],
-    [])
-)
 LIBS=$LIBS_SAVE
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(clock_gettime, [], [