diff --git a/gst/printf/README b/gst/printf/README
index ebfed9b3f7..c8eac3815f 100644
--- a/gst/printf/README
+++ b/gst/printf/README
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ This was imported from GLib's gnulib subdirectory.
 
 g-gnulib.h and _g_gnulib namespace has been changed to gst-printf.h and
 __gst_printf namespace for GStreamer. Also #define HAVE_SNPRINTF 0 has
-been changed to #undef HAVE_SNPRINTF, and HAVE_ALLOCA has been changed to
-GLIB_HAVE_ALLOCA_H
+been changed to #undef HAVE_SNPRINTF, and HAVE_ALLOCA has been replaced
+by an #if defined(alloca) || defined(GLIB_HAVE_ALLOCA_H)
 
 printf-extension.[ch] were added to provide support for custom pointer
 arguments (e.g. caps, events, etc.)
diff --git a/gst/printf/vasnprintf.c b/gst/printf/vasnprintf.c
index 1cc5c0d4f7..7f3d9e2f23 100644
--- a/gst/printf/vasnprintf.c
+++ b/gst/printf/vasnprintf.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ local_wcslen (const wchar_t * s)
 
 /* For those losing systems which don't have 'alloca' we have to add
    some additional code emulating it.  */
-#ifdef GLIB_HAVE_ALLOCA_H
+#if defined (alloca) || defined (GLIB_HAVE_ALLOCA_H)
 # define freea(p)               /* nothing */
 #else
 # define alloca(n) malloc (n)