diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 624f3f93..97da0289 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3855,7 +3855,7 @@ ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_fc_compiler_gnu
 
 if test "X$MPIFC" = "X" ; then
     # This is our MPIFC compiler preference: it will override ACX_MPI's first try.
-    for ac_prog in mpxlf2003_r mpxlf2003 mpxlf95_r mpxlf90 mpf95 mpf90  mpif95 mpif90 ftn
+    for ac_prog in mpxlf2003_r mpxlf2003 mpxlf95_r mpxlf90 mpf95 mpf90 mpifort mpif95 mpif90 ftn
 do
   # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
 set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e7c33825..58d5a819 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ AC_LANG([Fortran])
 
 if test "X$MPIFC" = "X" ; then
     # This is our MPIFC compiler preference: it will override ACX_MPI's first try.
-    AC_CHECK_PROGS([MPIFC],[mpxlf2003_r mpxlf2003 mpxlf95_r mpxlf90 mpf95 mpf90  mpif95 mpif90 ftn ])
+    AC_CHECK_PROGS([MPIFC],[mpxlf2003_r mpxlf2003 mpxlf95_r mpxlf90 mpf95 mpf90 mpifort mpif95 mpif90 ftn ])
 fi
 
 ACX_MPI([], [AC_MSG_ERROR([[Cannot find any suitable MPI implementation for Fortran]])])