diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 50248f5a7e2..f82e3a2ac28 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 - Calendar:
   . Fixed jdtogregorian overflow. (David Carlier)
 
+- Core:
+  . Fail early in *nix configuration build script. (hakre)
+
 - Curl:
   . Fixed bug GH-16723 (CURLMOPT_PUSHFUNCTION issues). (cmb)
 
diff --git a/build/genif.sh b/build/genif.sh
index 697bef95912..f6d6fff9534 100755
--- a/build/genif.sh
+++ b/build/genif.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ header_list=
 olddir=$(pwd)
 
 # Go to project root.
-cd $(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../" && pwd -P)
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../" && pwd -P)" || exit
 
 module_ptrs="$(echo $extensions | $AWK -f ./build/order_by_dep.awk)"
 
diff --git a/buildconf b/buildconf
index 51ef423abcf..0586cbf0cd2 100755
--- a/buildconf
+++ b/buildconf
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ force=0
 debug=0
 
 # Go to project root.
-cd $(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd -P)
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd -P)" || exit
 
-php_extra_version=$(grep '^AC_INIT(' configure.ac)
+php_extra_version=$(grep '^AC_INIT(' configure.ac) || exit
 case "$php_extra_version" in
   *-dev*)
     dev=1
diff --git a/scripts/dev/credits b/scripts/dev/credits
index e59cc109b88..783bc5f18f7 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/credits
+++ b/scripts/dev/credits
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # Generate credits_*.h headers from the ext/*/CREDITS and sapi/*/CREDITS files.
 
 # Go to project root directory
-cd $(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)" || exit
 
 awkprog='
 BEGIN { FS = "\n|\r\n|\r"; RS = "" }
diff --git a/scripts/dev/genfiles b/scripts/dev/genfiles
index 3e6c1271578..124a10de345 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/genfiles
+++ b/scripts/dev/genfiles
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ SED=${SED:-sed}
 MAKE=${MAKE:-make}
 
 # Go to project root.
-cd $(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)" || exit
 
 # Check required bison version from the configure.ac file.
 required_bison_version=$($SED -n 's/PHP_PROG_BISON(\[\([0-9\.]*\)\].*/\1/p' configure.ac)
diff --git a/scripts/dev/makedist b/scripts/dev/makedist
index 48e54cffaaf..9417515fe1d 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/makedist
+++ b/scripts/dev/makedist
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ if [[ $($tar --version) == *"bsdtar"* ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Go to project root directory.
-cd $(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)" || exit
 
 # Process options and arguments.
 while :; do