diff --git a/src/ca/client/perl/Makefile b/src/ca/client/perl/Makefile
index 6ae32ddaa..2ea949d3e 100644
--- a/src/ca/client/perl/Makefile
+++ b/src/ca/client/perl/Makefile
@@ -54,10 +54,11 @@ include $(TOP)/configure/RULES
 
 ifdef T_A
   EXTUTILS = $(shell $(PERL) ../perlConfig.pl privlib)/ExtUtils
+  XSUBPP = $(firstword $(wildcard /usr/bin/xsubpp $(EXTUTILS)/xsubpp))
 
   %.c: ../%.xs
 	$(RM) $@ $@_new
-	$(PERL) $(EXTUTILS)/xsubpp -typemap $(EXTUTILS)/typemap $< > $@_new && $(MV) $@_new $@
+	$(PERL) $(XSUBPP) -typemap $(EXTUTILS)/typemap $< > $@_new && $(MV) $@_new $@
 
   $(INSTALL_PERL_MODULES)/$(PERL_ARCHPATH)/%: %
 	$(ECHO) "Installing loadable shared library $@"