diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 6cb884a..e3c4c7a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ## Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in
 
-SUBDIRS = m4 po doc src gtkballs-data
+SUBDIRS = po doc src gtkballs-data
 
 EXTRA_DIST = README.russian \
 	     TODO \
@@ -8,9 +8,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = README.russian \
              gtkballs.lsm \
 	     gtkballs.spec
 
-install-data-local:
-	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/gtkballs
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) COPYING $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/gtkballs
+appddir = $(datadir)/gtkballs
+appd_DATA = COPYING
 
 install-data-hook:
 	if [ ! -f $(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/gtkballs-scores ]; then touch $(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/gtkballs-scores; fi
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b7408fc..5a9a83b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ This is the README for gtkballs.
 ## Compiling
 
 ```
+$ ./autogen.sh
 $ ./configure
 $ make
 ```
diff --git a/README.russian b/README.russian
index 66a7e5e..a844aec 100644
--- a/README.russian
+++ b/README.russian
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 2. Компиляция
 
+$ ./autogen.sh
 $ ./configure
 $ make
 
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..dd1407f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Run this to generate all the initial makefiles, etc.
+
+srcdir=`dirname $0`
+test -z "$srcdir" && srcdir=.
+cd $srcdir
+
+test -z "$AUTOMAKE"   && AUTOMAKE=automake
+test -z "$ACLOCAL"    && ACLOCAL=aclocal
+test -z "$AUTOCONF"   && AUTOCONF=autoconf
+test -z "$AUTOHEADER" && AUTOHEADER=autoheader
+test -z "$LIBTOOLIZE" && LIBTOOLIZE=$(which libtoolize glibtoolize 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+test -z "$LIBTOOLIZE" && LIBTOOLIZE=libtoolize #paranoid precaution
+
+if test "$1" == "verbose" || test "$1" == "--verbose" ; then
+	set -x
+	verbose='--verbose'
+	verbose2='--debug'
+fi
+
+# Get all required m4 macros required for configure
+$LIBTOOLIZE ${verbose} --copy --force || exit 1
+$ACLOCAL ${verbose} -I m4 || exit 1
+
+# Generate config.h.in
+$AUTOHEADER ${verbose} --force || exit 1
+
+# Generate Makefile.in's
+touch config.rpath
+$AUTOMAKE ${verbose} --add-missing --copy --force || exit 1
+
+if grep "IT_PROG_INTLTOOL" configure.ac >/dev/null ; then
+	intltoolize ${verbose2} -c --automake --force || exit 1
+	# po/Makefile.in.in has these lines:
+	#    mostlyclean:
+	#       rm -f *.pox $(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot *.old.po cat-id-tbl.tmp
+	# prevent $(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot from being deleted by `make clean`
+	sed 's/pox \$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE).pot/pox/' po/Makefile.in.in > po/Makefile.in.inx
+	mv -f po/Makefile.in.inx po/Makefile.in.in
+fi
+
+# generate configure
+$AUTOCONF ${verbose} --force || exit 1
+
+rm -rf autom4te.cache
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5deeba7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#                                               -*- Autoconf -*-
+# Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
+
+AC_INIT([gtkballs],[3.1.5],[])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([-Wall foreign])
+m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])])
+
+AC_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
+AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
+AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external])
+m4_ifdef([AM_PROG_AR], [AM_PROG_AR])
+m4_ifdef([AM_MAINTAINER_MODE], [AM_MAINTAINER_MODE])
+
+LT_INIT
+
+# Init intltool
+IT_PROG_INTLTOOL
+
+# Checks for programs.
+AC_PROG_CC
+AC_HEADER_STDC
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/param.h signal.h])
+
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GTK, gtk+-2.0 >= 2.0)
+AC_SUBST(GTK_CFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(GTK_LIBS)
+
+GETTEXT_PACKAGE=gtkballs
+AC_SUBST(GETTEXT_PACKAGE)
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(GETTEXT_PACKAGE,"$GETTEXT_PACKAGE", [Gettext package.])
+
+AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT
+
+
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([
+	gtkballs.lsm
+	Makefile
+	src/Makefile
+	doc/Makefile
+	doc/gtkballs.6x
+	po/Makefile.in 
+	gtkballs.spec
+	gtkballs-data/Makefile
+])
+AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 990fcfa..2fd0aa3 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS = gtkballs
 
 LIBS = @GTK_LIBS@ @LIBS@
-AM_CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ @GTK_CFLAGS@ -DDATADIR=\"$(datadir)\" -DLOCALSTATEDIR=\"$(localstatedir)\" -DLOCALEDIR=\"$(nlsdir)\"
-INCLUDES = -I../intl
+AM_CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ @GTK_CFLAGS@ -DDATADIR=\"$(datadir)\" -DLOCALSTATEDIR=\"$(localstatedir)\" -DLOCALEDIR=\"$(datadir)/locale\"
+AM_CPPFLAGS = -I../intl
 
 gtkballs_SOURCES = gtkballs.c gtkballs.h gfx.c gfx.h \
 		license.c license.h \
@@ -14,9 +14,3 @@ gtkballs_SOURCES = gtkballs.c gtkballs.h gfx.c gfx.h \
                 savedialog.c savedialog.h halloffame.c halloffame.h \
                 inputname.c inputname.h rulesdialog.c rulesdialog.h \
                 game.c game.h mainwin.c mainwin.h prefs.c prefs.h
-
-install-exec-hook:
-	if [ "${UID}" = 0 ]; then \
-		chgrp games $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/gtkballs; \
-		chmod g+s $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/gtkballs; \
-	fi