diff --git a/make/autoconf/basic_tools.m4 b/make/autoconf/basic_tools.m4
index b1f58961dfb..c21ca52e477 100644
--- a/make/autoconf/basic_tools.m4
+++ b/make/autoconf/basic_tools.m4
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ AC_DEFUN_ONCE([BASIC_SETUP_PANDOC],
 
     PANDOC_MARKDOWN_FLAG="markdown"
     AC_MSG_CHECKING([if the pandoc smart extension needs to be disabled for markdown])
-    if $PANDOC --list-extensions | $GREP -q '\+smart'; then
+    if $PANDOC --list-extensions | $GREP -q '+smart'; then
       AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
       PANDOC_MARKDOWN_FLAG="markdown-smart"
     else
diff --git a/make/autoconf/boot-jdk.m4 b/make/autoconf/boot-jdk.m4
index 85a77d23958..960a8ffce3a 100644
--- a/make/autoconf/boot-jdk.m4
+++ b/make/autoconf/boot-jdk.m4
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2011, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2011, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 # DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
 #
 # This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ AC_DEFUN_ONCE([BOOTJDK_SETUP_BOOT_JDK],
   # Finally, set some other options...
 
   # Determine if the boot jdk jar supports the --date option
-  if $JAR --help 2>&1 | $GREP -q "\-\-date=TIMESTAMP"; then
+  if $JAR --help 2>&1 | $GREP -q -e "--date=TIMESTAMP"; then
     BOOT_JDK_JAR_SUPPORTS_DATE=true
   else
     BOOT_JDK_JAR_SUPPORTS_DATE=false
diff --git a/make/autoconf/util_paths.m4 b/make/autoconf/util_paths.m4
index 8909babf7e8..3dd6ea7b489 100644
--- a/make/autoconf/util_paths.m4
+++ b/make/autoconf/util_paths.m4
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2011, 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2011, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 # DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
 #
 # This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([UTIL_REMOVE_SYMBOLIC_LINKS],
       sym_link_dir=`pwd -P`
       # Resolve file symlinks
       while test $COUNTER -lt 20; do
-        ISLINK=`$LS -l $sym_link_dir/$sym_link_file | $GREP '\->' | $SED -e 's/.*-> \(.*\)/\1/'`
+        ISLINK=`$LS -l $sym_link_dir/$sym_link_file | $GREP -e '->' | $SED -e 's/.*-> \(.*\)/\1/'`
         if test "x$ISLINK" == x; then
           # This is not a symbolic link! We are done!
           break