diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index ce4a312..7b36919 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -1383,6 +1383,8 @@
 Build
 -----
 
+- Bug #1234: Fixed semaphore errors on AIX 5.2
+
 - Issue #1726: Remove Python/atof.c from PCBuild/pythoncore.vcproj
 
 - Removed PCbuild8/ directory and added a new build directory for VS 2005
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 843e0b5..1a7dfc4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #! /bin/sh
-# From configure.in Revision: 59819 .
+# From configure.in Revision: 60141 .
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
 # Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.61 for python 2.6.
 #
@@ -14391,6 +14391,12 @@
 _ACEOF
 
 		       ;;
+      AIX/5)
+cat >>confdefs.h <<\_ACEOF
+#define HAVE_BROKEN_POSIX_SEMAPHORES 1
+_ACEOF
+
+		       ;;
       esac
 
       { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking if PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM is supported" >&5
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 64699ff..2ee4744 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1993,6 +1993,9 @@
       SunOS/5.8) AC_DEFINE(HAVE_BROKEN_POSIX_SEMAPHORES, 1,
 		       Define if the Posix semaphores do not work on your system)
 		       ;;
+      AIX/5) AC_DEFINE(HAVE_BROKEN_POSIX_SEMAPHORES, 1,
+		       Define if the Posix semaphores do not work on your system)
+		       ;;
       esac
 
       AC_MSG_CHECKING(if PTHREAD_SCOPE_SYSTEM is supported)