diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-02-02-02-06-07.bpo-46602.8GaOZ2.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-02-02-02-06-07.bpo-46602.8GaOZ2.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a1123b44ecd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2022-02-02-02-06-07.bpo-46602.8GaOZ2.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Tidied up configure.ac so that conftest.c is truncated rather than appended.  This assists in the case where the 'rm' of conftest.c fails to happen between tests.  Downstream issues such as a clobbered SOABI can result.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 015b51645f5..9097c0514b5 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5942,7 +5942,7 @@ fi
 
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for the platform triplet based on compiler characteristics" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for the platform triplet based on compiler characteristics... " >&6; }
-cat >> conftest.c <<EOF
+cat > conftest.c <<EOF
 #undef bfin
 #undef cris
 #undef fr30
@@ -6169,7 +6169,7 @@ $as_echo "$ac_cv_wl_no_as_needed" >&6; }
 
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for the Android API level" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for the Android API level... " >&6; }
-cat >> conftest.c <<EOF
+cat > conftest.c <<EOF
 #ifdef __ANDROID__
 android_api = __ANDROID_API__
 arm_arch = __ARM_ARCH
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6204747edfc..b613c18dbb3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ fi
 
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the platform triplet based on compiler characteristics])
-cat >> conftest.c <<EOF
+cat > conftest.c <<EOF
 #undef bfin
 #undef cris
 #undef fr30
@@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@ AC_CACHE_CHECK([for -Wl,--no-as-needed], [ac_cv_wl_no_as_needed], [
 AC_SUBST(NO_AS_NEEDED)
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the Android API level])
-cat >> conftest.c <<EOF
+cat > conftest.c <<EOF
 #ifdef __ANDROID__
 android_api = __ANDROID_API__
 arm_arch = __ARM_ARCH