diff --git a/liboath/configure.ac b/liboath/configure.ac
index 417fb85..620ad0c 100644
--- a/liboath/configure.ac
+++ b/liboath/configure.ac
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([-Wall -Werror foreign])
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
+m4_pattern_allow([AM_PROG_AR])
+AM_PROG_AR
+
 AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
 AC_PROG_CC
 gl_EARLY
diff --git a/libpskc/configure.ac b/libpskc/configure.ac
index afcd698..40c48c8 100644
--- a/libpskc/configure.ac
+++ b/libpskc/configure.ac
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([-Wall -Werror foreign])
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
+m4_pattern_allow([AM_PROG_AR])
+AM_PROG_AR
+
 AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
 AC_PROG_CC
 gl_EARLY
diff --git a/libpskc/gtk-doc/Makefile.am b/libpskc/gtk-doc/Makefile.am
index b210c43..5c948cf 100644
--- a/libpskc/gtk-doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/libpskc/gtk-doc/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 ## Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in
 
 # We require automake 1.6 at least.
-AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = 1.6
+# no-portability allows us to use GNU make variable assignments
+# without automake complaining.
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = 1.6 -Wno-portability
+
 
 # This is a blank Makefile.am for using gtk-doc.
 # Copy this to your project's API docs directory and modify the variables to
diff --git a/oathtool/configure.ac b/oathtool/configure.ac
index d5895ad..a4abbab 100644
--- a/oathtool/configure.ac
+++ b/oathtool/configure.ac
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
 AM_MISSING_PROG(HELP2MAN, help2man, $missing_dir)
 
+m4_pattern_allow([AM_PROG_AR])
+AM_PROG_AR
+
 AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
 AC_PROG_CC
 gl_EARLY
diff --git a/pam_oath/configure.ac b/pam_oath/configure.ac
index 644cf42..30a4d4d 100644
--- a/pam_oath/configure.ac
+++ b/pam_oath/configure.ac
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([-Wall -Werror foreign])
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
+m4_pattern_allow([AM_PROG_AR])
+AM_PROG_AR
+
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
 AC_DISABLE_STATIC
diff --git a/pskctool/configure.ac b/pskctool/configure.ac
index 3c9d877..b910025 100644
--- a/pskctool/configure.ac
+++ b/pskctool/configure.ac
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
 AM_MISSING_PROG(HELP2MAN, help2man, $missing_dir)
 
+m4_pattern_allow([AM_PROG_AR])
+AM_PROG_AR
+
 AC_LIBTOOL_WIN32_DLL
 AC_PROG_CC
 gl_EARLY