diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 788658da5b..b9a932aa50 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ Changes in version 0.2.1.12-alpha - 2009-02-??
     - Add a 'getinfo status/clients-seen' controller command, in case
       controllers want to hear clients_seen events but connect late.
 
+  o Build changes
+    - Disable GCC's strict alias optimization by default, to avoid the
+      likelihood of its introducing subtle bugs whenever our code violates
+      the letter of C99's alias rules.
+
 
 Changes in version 0.2.1.11-alpha - 2009-01-20
   o Security fixes:
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 52c40cb7c0..c661b377bb 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -754,8 +754,11 @@ AC_SUBST(LOCALSTATEDIR)
 
 # Set CFLAGS _after_ all the above checks, since our warnings are stricter
 # than autoconf's macros like.
-if test "$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu" = yes; then
+if test "$GCC" = yes; then
   CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -g -O2"
+  # Disable GCC's strict aliasing checks.  They are an hours-to-debug
+  # accident waiting to happen.
+  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fno-strict-aliasing"
 else
   CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -g -O"
   enable_gcc_warnings=no