diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -17,33 +17,28 @@
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.61)
 AC_INIT([distren],[0.0],[http://bugs.ohnopub.net/], [], [http://ohnopub.net/distren/])
+AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([src/common/config.h])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/server/distrend.c])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
-#AC_PROG_RANLIB #don't add this even if autoscan says to, because AC_PROG_LIBTOOL is enough
 
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([gnu dist-bzip2 subdir-objects -Wall])
 AM_PROG_CC_C_O
 
-#basic low-level checks (suggested by autoscan)
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS([dup2])
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS([memset])
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS([strdup])
-
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([fcntl.h])
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([malloc.h])
-
-AC_FUNC_FORK
-AC_FUNC_MALLOC
-
+dnl these macros force the refered to types to be available without me
+dnl writing my own magic :-)
 AC_TYPE_PID_T
 AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
 
-# selective compilation
-# For now, this is only left for when the C-based client is
-# reintroducded.
+AC_TYPE_UINT8_T
+AC_TYPE_UINT16_T
+AC_TYPE_UINT32_T
+
+dnl selective compilation
+dnl For now, this is only left for when the C-based client is
+dnl reintroducded.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([server],
 	[AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-server],[Don't build the distren server])],
 	[enable_server=$enableval],
@@ -51,30 +46,24 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([server],
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_SERVER],
 	[test "x$enable_server" = "xyes"])
 
-# to grab GNU-specific function prototypes for the following functions:
-# getline
-AC_DEFINE([_GNU_SOURCE], [1])
+dnl package dependencies:
 
-#package dependencies:
-
-PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG(0.17.2)
-
-
-PKGCONFIG_OHNOWRAP([DISTLIBS], [libconfuse >= 2.5 libcurl libxml-2.0 liblist >= 2.2.1 libarchive >= 2.8.0 ])
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([DISTLIBS], [libconfuse >= 2.5 libcurl libxml-2.0 liblist >= 2.3.1 libarchive >= 2.8.0])
 AX_LIB_MYSQL
 AS_IF( [test "x${MYSQL_VERSION}" = "x"],
 	[ AC_MSG_ERROR([I need mysql]) ] )
 
-PKGCONFIG_OHNOWRAP([CHECK], [check >= 0.9.3])
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([CHECK], [check >= 0.9.3])
 
-# define paths for configuration files:
+dnl define paths for configuration files until a better arrangement is
+dnl made:
 
 AC_DEFINE_DIR([LOCALSTATEDIR], [localstatedir], [Default directory for storing state information])
 AC_DEFINE_DIR([RUNSTATEDIR], [localstatedir/run], [Default directory for registering runtime information like pid-files])
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
-etc/distrendaemon.conf
-etc/distrenslave.conf
+	etc/distrendaemon.conf
+	etc/distrenslave.conf
 ])
 
 AC_OUTPUT