diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 2a8a9be8a1..f5cfcd566e 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1790,6 +1790,7 @@ fi
 # functions to probe cross compilers
 
 container="no"
+runc=""
 if test $use_containers = "yes" && (has "docker" || has "podman"); then
     case $($python "$source_path"/tests/docker/docker.py probe) in
         *docker) container=docker ;;
@@ -1798,6 +1799,7 @@ if test $use_containers = "yes" && (has "docker" || has "podman"); then
     esac
     if test "$container" != "no"; then
         docker_py="$python $source_path/tests/docker/docker.py --engine $container"
+        runc=$($python "$source_path"/tests/docker/docker.py probe)
     fi
 fi
 
@@ -2397,6 +2399,7 @@ fi
 
 if test "$container" != no; then
     echo "ENGINE=$container" >> $config_host_mak
+    echo "RUNC=$runc" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
 echo "ROMS=$roms" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "MAKE=$make" >> $config_host_mak