diff --git a/sc2/build.sh b/sc2/build.sh
index 63501f985..51d2f1cab 100755
--- a/sc2/build.sh
+++ b/sc2/build.sh
@@ -19,8 +19,16 @@
 # You can start this program as 'SH="/bin/sh -x" ./build.sh' to
 # enable command tracing.
 
-SH="${SH:-/bin/sh}"
-export SH
+if [ -z "$SH" ]; then
+	if [ `uname -s` = SunOS ]; then
+		# /bin/sh of Solaris is incompatible. Fortunately, Sun ships
+		# a decent sh in /usr/xpg4/bin/ nowadays.
+		SH=/usr/xpg4/bin/sh
+	else
+		SH=/bin/sh
+	fi
+	export SH
+fi
 
 $SH build/unix/build.sh "$@"
 
diff --git a/sc2/build/unix/build.config b/sc2/build/unix/build.config
index 8e41047ef..be61af105 100644
--- a/sc2/build/unix/build.config
+++ b/sc2/build/unix/build.config
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+# This file is sourced by build.sh
 
 # Include build functions used here
 . build/unix/config_functions
diff --git a/sc2/build/unix/build.sh b/sc2/build/unix/build.sh
index eede70f25..96e49f922 100644
--- a/sc2/build/unix/build.sh
+++ b/sc2/build/unix/build.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ fi
 
 # Read in the config settings that affect the build, if present.
 # Don't reread for every dir when recursing.
-if [ -e "$BUILD_WORK/build.vars" -a -z "$BUILD_COMMAND" ]; then
+if [ -r "$BUILD_WORK/build.vars" -a -z "$BUILD_COMMAND" ]; then
 	. "$BUILD_WORK/build.vars"
 fi
 
diff --git a/sc2/build/unix/config_functions b/sc2/build/unix/config_functions
index cebf273a4..c3c15ff03 100644
--- a/sc2/build/unix/config_functions
+++ b/sc2/build/unix/config_functions
@@ -79,16 +79,6 @@ EOF
 	fi
 }
 
-# Description: Output a message to stderr, unless BUILD_SILENT is set
-# Arguments: the message
-build_message() {
-	if [ -z "$BUILD_SILENT" ]; then
-	cat >&2 << EOF
-$@
-EOF
-	fi
-}
-
 # Description: check if a string is lexicographically before
 #              another string
 # Arguments:   $1 - the first string
diff --git a/sc2/build/unix/config_proginfo b/sc2/build/unix/config_proginfo
index ffae45097..05fb7a20c 100644
--- a/sc2/build/unix/config_proginfo
+++ b/sc2/build/unix/config_proginfo
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ PROG_sed_VERSION=''
 
 PROG_make_NAME="Make"
 case "$OSNAME" in
-	FreeBSD|OpenBSD)
+	FreeBSD|OpenBSD|SunOS)
 		PROG_make_FILE="gmake"
 		;;
 	*)