diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f5a276f627..e8a5c61aad 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -83,9 +83,12 @@ OMPI_LOAD_PLATFORM
 #
 # Init automake
 #
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign dist-bzip2 subdir-objects no-define 1.10c silent-rules tar-ustar])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign dist-bzip2 subdir-objects no-define 1.11 tar-ustar])
 
-# We require >AM 1.11, so AM_SILENT_RULES will exist
+# SILENT_RULES is new in AM 1.11, but we require 1.11 or higher via
+# autogen.  Limited testing shows that calling SILENT_RULES directly
+# works in more cases than adding "silent-rules" to INIT_AUTOMAKE
+# (even though they're supposed to be identical).  Shrug.
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
 # Make configure depend on the VERSION file, since it's used in AC_INIT
@@ -1118,7 +1121,11 @@ AC_SUBST([AMCA_PARAM_SETS_DIR], ['$(pkgdatadir)/amca-param-sets'])
 # final wrapper compiler config
 ############################################################################
 
-ompi_show_subtitle "Wrapper compiler flags"
+ompi_show_subtitle "Wrapper compiler final setup"
+# The ORTE and OMPI wrapper scripts (i.e., not the C-compiled
+# executables) need perl.
+AC_PATH_PROG(PERL, perl, perl)
+
 OPAL_SETUP_WRAPPER_FINAL
 m4_ifdef([project_orte], [ORTE_SETUP_WRAPPER_FINAL])
 m4_ifdef([project_ompi], [OMPI_SETUP_WRAPPER_FINAL])
diff --git a/ompi/tools/wrappers/ompi_wrapper_script.in b/ompi/tools/wrappers/ompi_wrapper_script.in
index f8571d10f2..f7c1397034 100644
--- a/ompi/tools/wrappers/ompi_wrapper_script.in
+++ b/ompi/tools/wrappers/ompi_wrapper_script.in
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+#! @PERL@ -w
 # -*- perl -*-
 #
+# Note that we use an interpreter value ("PERL") from configure
+# because even "#!/usr/bin/env perl" to all systems (e.g., NetBSD).
+#
 # Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
 # Copyright (c) 2010      Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.
 # $COPYRIGHT$
diff --git a/orte/tools/wrappers/orte_wrapper_script.in b/orte/tools/wrappers/orte_wrapper_script.in
index 6a203d7c40..9bcdd3890c 100644
--- a/orte/tools/wrappers/orte_wrapper_script.in
+++ b/orte/tools/wrappers/orte_wrapper_script.in
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+#! @PERL@ -w
 # -*- perl -*-
 #
+# Note that we use an interpreter value ("PERL") from configure
+# because even "#!/usr/bin/env perl" to all systems (e.g., NetBSD).
+#
 # Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Cisco Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
 # Copyright (c) 2010      Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.
 # $COPYRIGHT$