diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e61d398..6620f4c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -27,3 +27,5 @@ stamp-h1
 .deps
 .libs
 src/gtkballs
+autoconf
+autoconf-m4
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e3c4c7a..32e840b 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ install-data-hook:
 	if [ "${UID}" = 0 ]; then chgrp games $(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/gtkballs-scores; fi
 	chmod 0664 $(DESTDIR)$(localstatedir)/gtkballs-scores
 
-ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
+ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I autoconf-m4
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index dd1407f..09c84b5 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -18,15 +18,26 @@ if test "$1" == "verbose" || test "$1" == "--verbose" ; then
 	verbose2='--debug'
 fi
 
+# pre-create some dirs / files
+auxdir='.'
+if grep -q "AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR" configure.ac ; then
+	auxdir="$(grep AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR configure.ac | cut -f 2 -d '[' | cut -f 1 -d ']')"
+fi
+mkdir -p ${auxdir}
+touch ${auxdir}/config.rpath
+m4dir="$(grep AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR configure.ac | cut -f 2 -d '[' | cut -f 1 -d ']')"
+if test -n "$m4dir" ; then
+	mkdir -p ${m4dir}
+fi
+
 # Get all required m4 macros required for configure
 $LIBTOOLIZE ${verbose} --copy --force || exit 1
-$ACLOCAL ${verbose} -I m4 || exit 1
+$ACLOCAL ${verbose} || 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
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 47670a1..92aad05 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
 AC_INIT([gtkballs],[3.1.5],[])
+AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([autoconf])
+AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([autoconf-m4])
 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])