diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 895afee804..f4a03778fe 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1897,7 +1897,18 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(sigaltstack)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(sigprocmask)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(sinh)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(spawnv)
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(statx)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(statx, [],
+    [AS_CASE(["$target_os"], [linux*],
+	[AC_CHECK_DECLS([__NR_statx], [ac_cv_func_statx=syscall], [],
+	[
+	@%:@ ifdef HAVE_SYSCALL_H
+	@%:@   include <syscall.h>
+	@%:@ elif defined HAVE_SYS_SYSCALL_H
+	@%:@   include <sys/syscall.h>
+	@%:@ endif
+	])
+    ])
+])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(symlink)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(syscall)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(sysconf)
@@ -1913,6 +1924,8 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS(utimes)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(wait4)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(waitpid)
 
+AS_IF([test "$ac_cv_func_statx" = syscall], [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_STATX, 0)])
+
 AS_CASE(["$ac_cv_func_memset_s:$ac_cv_func_qsort_s"], [*yes*],
     [RUBY_DEFINE_IF([!defined __STDC_WANT_LIB_EXT1__], [__STDC_WANT_LIB_EXT1__], 1)])
 
diff --git a/ext/pathname/extconf.rb b/ext/pathname/extconf.rb
index c9133bc153..84e68277aa 100644
--- a/ext/pathname/extconf.rb
+++ b/ext/pathname/extconf.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: false
 require 'mkmf'
-have_struct_member("struct stat", "st_birthtimespec", "sys/stat.h")
+have_func("rb_file_s_birthtime")
 create_makefile('pathname')
diff --git a/ext/pathname/pathname.c b/ext/pathname/pathname.c
index d5e58c52d8..9cf6c32039 100644
--- a/ext/pathname/pathname.c
+++ b/ext/pathname/pathname.c
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ path_atime(VALUE self)
     return rb_funcall(rb_cFile, id_atime, 1, get_strpath(self));
 }
 
-#if defined(HAVE_STRUCT_STAT_ST_BIRTHTIMESPEC) || defined(_WIN32)
+#if defined(HAVE_RB_FILE_S_BIRTHTIME)
 /*
  * call-seq:
  *   pathname.birthtime	-> time
@@ -528,6 +528,7 @@ path_birthtime(VALUE self)
     return rb_funcall(rb_cFile, id_birthtime, 1, get_strpath(self));
 }
 #else
+/* check at compilation time for `respond_to?` */
 # define path_birthtime rb_f_notimplement
 #endif
 
diff --git a/file.c b/file.c
index c00c43e5d4..513bde5c65 100644
--- a/file.c
+++ b/file.c
@@ -1113,6 +1113,24 @@ stat_without_gvl(const char *path, struct stat *st)
 }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_STATX
+
+# if HAVE_STATX == 0
+#   ifdef HAVE_SYSCALL_H
+#     include <syscall.h>
+#   elif defined HAVE_SYS_SYSCALL_H
+#     include <sys/syscall.h>
+#   endif
+#   if defined __linux__
+#     include <linux/stat.h>
+static inline int
+statx(int dirfd, const char *pathname, int flags,
+      unsigned int mask, struct statx *statxbuf)
+{
+    return syscall(__NR_statx, dirfd, pathname, flags, mask, statxbuf);
+}
+#   endif
+# endif
+
 typedef struct no_gvl_statx_data {
     struct statx *stx;
     int fd;
@@ -2360,9 +2378,10 @@ rb_file_ctime(VALUE obj)
  *
  */
 
-#if defined(HAVE_STAT_BIRTHTIME)
-static VALUE
+#if defined(HAVE_STAT_BIRTHTIME) || defined(HAVE_STATX)
+RUBY_FUNC_EXPORTED VALUE
 rb_file_s_birthtime(VALUE klass, VALUE fname)
+# if defined(HAVE_STAT_BIRTHTIME)
 {
     struct stat st;
 
@@ -2373,9 +2392,7 @@ rb_file_s_birthtime(VALUE klass, VALUE fname)
     }
     return stat_birthtime(&st);
 }
-#elif defined(HAVE_STATX)
-static VALUE
-rb_file_s_birthtime(VALUE klass, VALUE fname)
+# elif defined(HAVE_STATX)
 {
     struct statx stx;
 
@@ -2390,6 +2407,9 @@ rb_file_s_birthtime(VALUE klass, VALUE fname)
     }
     return statx_birthtime(&stx);
 }
+# else
+#   error Not implemented
+# endif
 #else
 # define rb_file_s_birthtime rb_f_notimplement
 #endif
diff --git a/test/pathname/test_pathname.rb b/test/pathname/test_pathname.rb
index f8e4937802..78f0af71df 100644
--- a/test/pathname/test_pathname.rb
+++ b/test/pathname/test_pathname.rb
@@ -789,10 +789,15 @@ class TestPathname < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_birthtime
-    assert_kind_of(Time, Pathname(__FILE__).birthtime)
-  rescue NotImplementedError
-    assert_raise(NotImplementedError) do
-      File.birthtime(__FILE__)
+    # Check under a (probably) local filesystem.
+    # Remote filesystems often may not support birthtime.
+    with_tmpchdir('rubytest-pathname') do |dir|
+      open("a", "w") {}
+      assert_kind_of(Time, Pathname("a").birthtime)
+    rescue NotImplementedError
+      assert_raise(NotImplementedError) do
+        File.birthtime("a")
+      end
     end
   end