diff --git a/config/kernel-evict-inode.m4 b/config/kernel-evict-inode.m4
index f748898c3..0700792f9 100644
--- a/config/kernel-evict-inode.m4
+++ b/config/kernel-evict-inode.m4
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_KERNEL_EVICT_INODE], [
 		#include <linux/fs.h>
 	],[
 		void (*evict_inode) (struct inode *) = NULL;
-		struct super_operations sops __attribute__ ((unused));
-
-		sops.evict_inode = evict_inode;
+		struct super_operations sops __attribute__ ((unused)) = {
+			.evict_inode = evict_inode,
+		};
 	],[
 		AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
 		AC_DEFINE(HAVE_EVICT_INODE, 1, [sops->evict_inode() exists])
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 3b136d7c8..864024253 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -14375,9 +14375,9 @@ main (void)
 {
 
 		void (*evict_inode) (struct inode *) = NULL;
-		struct super_operations sops __attribute__ ((unused));
-
-		sops.evict_inode = evict_inode;
+		struct super_operations sops __attribute__ ((unused)) = {
+			.evict_inode = evict_inode,
+		};
 
   ;
   return 0;
@@ -18733,9 +18733,9 @@ main (void)
 {
 
 		void (*evict_inode) (struct inode *) = NULL;
-		struct super_operations sops __attribute__ ((unused));
-
-		sops.evict_inode = evict_inode;
+		struct super_operations sops __attribute__ ((unused)) = {
+			.evict_inode = evict_inode,
+		};
 
   ;
   return 0;