diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 1a620bbf..7a640a56 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ if test "$?" != "0"; then
 	exit 4
 fi
 echo running $AUTOMAKE...
-$AUTOMAKE -a --foreign
+$AUTOMAKE -a
 if test "$?" != "0"; then
 	echo automake failed, stopping.
 	exit 5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d638d449..2d5d8417 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([configure.ac])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 dist-bzip2 subdir-objects no-define])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 dist-bzip2 subdir-objects no-define foreign])
 
 AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE