diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 590231b8a..9c7835212 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -1,32 +1,17 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-# Run this to generate or regenerate all the initial makefiles, etc.
+
+# Run this to generate all the initial makefiles, etc.
+
+# Enabling maintainer mode, as done when configure is run by this script,
+# will cause the makefiles to be regenerated if any of the Makefile.am
+# or configure.ac files are changed.
+
 # Taken from glib CVS
 
 # Change the following to match the versions installed on your system
 LIBTOOLIZE=libtoolize
 AUTOCONF=autoconf
-AUTOHEADER=autoheader
 AUTOMAKE=automake
-ACLOCAL=aclocal
-#
-# FreeBSD 6.2 uses this
-#
-#AUTOCONF=autoconf259
-#AUTOHEAD=autoheader259
-#AUTOMAKE=automake19
-#ACLOCAL=aclocal19
-#
-# Debian etch uses this
-#
-#AUTOCONF=autoconf
-#AUTOHEADER=autoheader
-#AUTOMAKE=automake-1.9
-#ACLOCAL=aclocal-1.9
-
-# Needed on Gentoo
-export WANT_AUTOCONF_2_5	#  2.54 or higher, not 2.53a or 2.13
-
-ACLOCAL_FLAGS="$ACLOCAL_FLAGS -I macros"
 
 srcdir=`dirname $0`
 test -z "$srcdir" && srcdir=.
@@ -43,15 +28,13 @@ DIE=0
         echo
         echo "You must have autoconf installed to compile $PROJECT."
         echo "Download the appropriate package for your distribution,"
-        echo "or get the source tarball at ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/"
         DIE=1
 }
 
 ($AUTOMAKE --version) < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 || {
         echo
         echo "You must have automake installed to compile $PROJECT."
-        echo "Get ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/automake/automake-1.5.tar.gz"
-        echo "(or a newer version if it is available)"
+        echo "Download the appropriate package for your distribution,"
         DIE=1
 }
 
@@ -71,24 +54,23 @@ test $TEST_TYPE $FILE || {
         exit 1
 }
 
+###################################################################
+### autoreconf is now the preferred way to process configure.ac ###
+### which should handle compiler variations and ensures that    ###
+### subtools are processed in the correct order.                ###
+###################################################################
+
+echo "Running 'autoreconf -is' to process configure.ac"
+echo "and generate the configure script."
+
+# Tell autoreconf to install missing files as symbolic links
+autoreconf -is
+
+cd $ORIGDIR
+
 if test -z "$*"; then
         echo "I am going to run ./configure with no arguments - if you wish "
         echo "to pass any to it, please specify them on the $0 command line."
 fi
 
-# Are we looking for the compiler on a foreign system?
-case $CC in
-*xlc | *xlc\ * | *lcc | *lcc\ *) am_opt=--include-deps;;
-esac
-
-$ACLOCAL $ACLOCAL_FLAGS
-
-# optionally feature autoheader
-($AUTOHEADER --version)  < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 && $AUTOHEADER
-
-$LIBTOOLIZE $ltz_opt
-$AUTOMAKE -a $am_opt
-$AUTOCONF
-cd $ORIGDIR
-
 $srcdir/configure --enable-maintainer-mode "$@"