diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 45860de..6c934ef 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 # TODO: Rather than use -export-dynamic, we should use -export-symbol to have a
 #       selective list of symbols.
 
-WHITELIST_CONF ?= ${srcdir}/host-ipmid-whitelist.conf
 ipmiwhitelist.cpp: ${srcdir}/generate_whitelist.sh $(WHITELIST_CONF)
 	$(SHELL) $^ > $@
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index daba2c5..f9acc0f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@
     AC_SUBST([OESDK_TESTCASE_FLAGS], [$testcase_flags])
 )
 
+AC_ARG_VAR(WHITELIST_CONF, [Paths to IPMI whitelisted commands conf files. (default = ${srcdir}/host-ipmid-whitelist.conf)])
+if test -z "$WHITELIST_CONF"; then
+        WHITELIST_CONF=${srcdir}/host-ipmid-whitelist.conf
+fi
+
 # Create configured output
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile test/Makefile])
 AC_OUTPUT