diff --git a/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml
index 4de1bc8..7636914 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ubuntu.yml
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
         cd couch
         sed -i -e "s@DRV_CFLAGS -DPIC@DRV_CFLAGS -I/usr/local/include -DPIC@" src/couch/rebar.config.script
         sed -i -e "s@DRV_LDFLAGS -lm@DRV_LDFLAGS -L/usr/local/lib -lm@" src/couch/rebar.config.script
-        sh ./configure --spidermonkey-version=91 --disable-docs
+        sh ./configure --disable-docs
     - name: Compile
       run: |
         cd couch
diff --git a/build-aux/Jenkinsfile.full b/build-aux/Jenkinsfile.full
index 26cec87..8a5fbb6 100644
--- a/build-aux/Jenkinsfile.full
+++ b/build-aux/Jenkinsfile.full
@@ -25,37 +25,31 @@
 meta = [
   'centos7': [
     name: 'CentOS 7',
-    spidermonkey_vsn: '1.8.5',
     image: "apache/couchdbci-centos:7-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}"
   ],
 
   'centos8': [
     name: 'CentOS 8',
-    spidermonkey_vsn: '60',
     image: "apache/couchdbci-centos:8-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}"
   ],
 
   'bionic': [
     name: 'Ubuntu 18.04',
-    spidermonkey_vsn: '1.8.5',
     image: "apache/couchdbci-ubuntu:bionic-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}"
   ],
 
   'focal': [
     name: 'Ubuntu 20.04',
-    spidermonkey_vsn: '68',
     image: "apache/couchdbci-ubuntu:focal-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}"
   ],
 
   'stretch': [
     name: 'Debian 9',
-    spidermonkey_vsn: '1.8.5',
     image: "apache/couchdbci-debian:stretch-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}"
   ],
 
   'buster': [
     name: 'Debian 10',
-    spidermonkey_vsn: '60',
     image: "apache/couchdbci-debian:buster-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}"
   ],
 
@@ -63,21 +57,18 @@
 
   // 'buster-arm64': [
   //   name: 'Debian 10 ARM'
-  //   spidermonkey_vsn: '60',
   //   image: "apache/couchdbci-debian:arm64v8-buster-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}",
   //   node_label: 'arm64v8'
   // ],
 
   // 'buster-ppc64': [
   //   name: 'Debian 10 POWER'
-  //   spidermonkey_vsn: '60',
   //   image: "apache/couchdbci-debian:pp64le-buster-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}",
   //   node_label: 'ppc64le'
   // ],
 
   'bullseye': [
     name: 'Debian 11',
-    spidermonkey_vsn: '78',
     image: "apache/couchdbci-debian:bullseye-erlang-${ERLANG_VERSION}"
   ],
 
@@ -119,12 +110,13 @@
             withEnv([
                 'HOME='+pwd(),
                 'PATH+USRLOCAL=/usr/local/bin',
-                'MAKE='+meta[platform].gnu_make
+                'MAKE='+meta[platform].gnu_make,
+                'SM_VSN='+meta[platform].spidermonkey_vsn
                 ]) {
               sh( script: "mkdir -p ${COUCHDB_IO_LOG_DIR} ${platform}/build", label: 'Create build directories' )
               sh( script: "tar -xf apache-couchdb-*.tar.gz -C ${platform}/build --strip-components=1", label: 'Unpack release' )
               dir( "${platform}/build" ) {
-                sh "./configure --skip-deps --spidermonkey-version ${meta[platform].spidermonkey_vsn}"
+                sh "./configure --skip-deps"
                 sh '$MAKE'
                 sh '$MAKE eunit'
                 sh '$MAKE elixir-suite'
@@ -176,7 +168,7 @@
                   sh( script: "mkdir -p ${COUCHDB_IO_LOG_DIR} ${platform}/build", label: 'Create build directories' )
                   sh( script: "tar -xf apache-couchdb-*.tar.gz -C ${platform}/build --strip-components=1", label: 'Unpack release' )
                   dir( "${platform}/build" ) {
-                    sh "./configure --skip-deps --spidermonkey-version ${meta[platform].spidermonkey_vsn}"
+                    sh "./configure --skip-deps"
                     sh 'make'
                     sh 'make eunit'
                     sh 'make elixir-suite'
@@ -271,14 +263,10 @@
           registryCredentialsId 'dockerhub_creds'
         }
       }
-      environment {
-        // TODO find a way to avoid setting this explicitly
-        spidermonkey = '78'
-      }
       steps {
         timeout(time: 15, unit: "MINUTES") {
           sh (script: 'rm -rf apache-couchdb-*', label: 'Clean workspace of any previous release artifacts' )
-          sh "./configure --spidermonkey-version ${spidermonkey}"
+          sh "./configure"
           sh 'make erlfmt-check'
           sh 'make elixir-check-formatted'
           sh 'make dist'
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c016c31..866bb81 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -29,11 +29,22 @@
 SKIP_DEPS=0
 
 COUCHDB_USER="$(whoami 2>/dev/null || echo couchdb)"
-SM_VSN=${SM_VSN:-"1.8.5"}
+OS="$(uname)"
 ARCH="$(uname -m)"
 
+SM_VSN=${SM_VSN:-$([ "$OS" = "Linux" ] || echo "1.8.5")}
+# Try to detect SpiderMonkey (libmozjs) version automatically on linux
+SM_VSN=${SM_VSN:-$(/sbin/ldconfig -p | sed -n 's/.libmozjs-*\([0-9]*\).*/\1/p' | head -n 1)}
+if [ -z "$SM_VSN" ]; then
+  SM_VSN="1.8.5"
+fi
+
+if [ "$SM_VSN" = "185" ]; then
+  SM_VSN="1.8.5"
+fi
+
 . ${rootdir}/version.mk
-COUCHDB_VERSION=${vsn_major}.${vsn_minor}.${vsn_patch}
+COUCHDB_VERSION=${vsn_major}.${vsn_minor}.${vsn_patch}src/couch/rebar.config.script
 
 display_help () {
     cat << EOF
@@ -211,6 +222,14 @@
 
 parse_opts $@
 
+# If SM_VSN is empty, the SpiderMonkey version could not be detected,
+# and it was not set with the CLI argument. Quit the script and warn the user.
+if [ -z "$SM_VSN" ]; then
+  echo 'ERROR: Could not detect SpiderMonkey version. Ensure SpyderMonkey is installed' \
+       'or set the version explicitly with "--spidermonkey-version".'
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 if [ "${ARCH}" = "aarch64" ] && [ "${SM_VSN}" = "60" ]
 then
   echo "ERROR: SpiderMonkey 60 is known broken on ARM 64 (aarch64). Use another version instead."