question about cross compiling 3.9p1 for uClibc

I'm trying to compile OpenSSH 3.9p1 using an i386-linux-uclibc cross 
compiler.  Whenever I try to run the autoconf script, though, I get this 
error message:

   $ cd /home/squirrel/projects/set_top_pbx/workspace/build/openssh-3.9p1
   $ CC=~/cross_cc/i386-linux-uclibc/bin/i386-linux-uclibc-gcc \
     ./configure \
         --host=i386-linux \
         --prefix=/usr \
         --sysconfdir=/etc/ssh \
         --disable-largefile
   configure: WARNING: If you wanted to set the --build type, don't use
   --host.
       If a cross compiler is detected then cross compile mode will be
   used.
   checking for i386-linux-gcc...
      ~/cross_cc/i386-linux-uclibc/bin/i386-linux-uclibc-gcc
   checking for C compiler default output file name... a.out
   checking whether the C compiler works... yes
   checking whether we are cross compiling... yes
   ... <truncated> ...
   checking compiler and flags for sanity... configure: error: cannot
   run test program while cross compiling
   See `config.log' for more details.

Needless to say, the config.log didn't really shed much light on the 
issue.  After examining the autoconf script, I believe the following 
section is the culprit:

   echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking compiler and flags for sanity" >&5
   echo $ECHO_N "checking compiler and flags for sanity... $ECHO_C" >&6
   if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
     { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: cannot run test program while
   cross compiling
   See \`config.log' for more details." >&5
   echo "$as_me: error: cannot run test program while cross compiling
   See \`config.log' for more details." >&2;}
      { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
   else
     ... <truncated> ...
   fi

The way I read this, we should get this error for any and all cross 
compiling of OpenSSH.  Yet, obviously, some people *do* cross compile 
it.  What am I missing?

Thanks for the help!

chris