diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index f300fe40..ce1f86f6 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,92 @@
-intltoolize --copy --force
-aclocal -I build/m4/sparkleshare -I build/m4/shamrock -I build/m4/shave
-automake --add-missing
-autoconf
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+PROJECT=sparkleshare
+
+function error () {
+	echo "Error: $1" 1>&2
+	exit 1
+}
+
+function check_autotool_version () {
+	which $1 &>/dev/null || {
+		error "$1 is not installed, and is required to configure $PACKAGE"
+	}
+
+	version=$($1 --version | head -n 1 | cut -f4 -d' ')
+	major=$(echo $version | cut -f1 -d.)
+	minor=$(echo $version | cut -f2 -d.)
+	rev=$(echo $version | cut -f3 -d. | sed 's/[^0-9].*$//')
+	major_check=$(echo $2 | cut -f1 -d.)
+	minor_check=$(echo $2 | cut -f2 -d.)
+	rev_check=$(echo $2 | cut -f3 -d.)
+
+	if [ $major -lt $major_check ]; then
+		do_bail=yes
+	elif [[ $minor -lt $minor_check && $major = $major_check ]]; then
+		do_bail=yes
+	elif [[ $rev -lt $rev_check && $minor = $minor_check && $major = $major_check ]]; then
+		do_bail=yes
+	fi
+
+	if [ x"$do_bail" = x"yes" ]; then
+		error "$1 version $2 or better is required to configure $PROJECT"
+	fi
+}
+
+function run () {
+	echo "Running $@ ..."
+	$@ 2>.autogen.log || {
+		cat .autogen.log 1>&2
+		rm .autogen.log
+		error "Could not run $1, which is required to configure $PROJECT"
+	}
+	rm .autogen.log
+}
+
+srcdir=$(dirname $0)
+test -z "$srcdir" && srcdir=.
+
+(test -f $srcdir/configure.ac) || {
+	error "Directory \"$srcdir\" does not look like the top-level $PROJECT directory"
+}
+
+# MacPorts on OS X only seems to have glibtoolize
+WHICHLIBTOOLIZE=$(which libtoolize || which glibtoolize)
+if [ x"$WHICHLIBTOOLIZE" == x"" ]; then
+	error "libtool is required to configure $PROJECT"
+fi
+LIBTOOLIZE=$(basename $WHICHLIBTOOLIZE)
+
+check_autotool_version aclocal 1.9
+check_autotool_version automake 1.9
+check_autotool_version autoconf 2.53
+check_autotool_version $LIBTOOLIZE 1.4.3
+check_autotool_version intltoolize 0.35.0
+check_autotool_version pkg-config 0.14.0
+
+if [ $(pkg-config --modversion gnome-doc-utils 2> /dev/null) ]; then
+    run gnome-doc-prepare --automake --force
+else
+    echo "gnome-doc-utils not found; user help will not be built"
+    echo "AC_DEFUN([GNOME_DOC_INIT], [AC_MSG_NOTICE([])])" > gnome-doc-utils.make
+fi
+
+run intltoolize --force --copy
+run $LIBTOOLIZE --force --copy --automake
+run aclocal -I build/m4/sparkleshare -I build/m4/shamrock -I build/m4/shave $ACLOCAL_FLAGS
+run autoconf
+
+run automake --gnu --add-missing --force --copy \
+	-Wno-portability -Wno-portability
+
+if [ ! -z "$NOCONFIGURE" ]; then
+	echo "Done. ./configure skipped."
+	exit $?
+fi
+
+if [ $# = 0 ]; then
+	echo "WARNING: I am going to run configure without any arguments."
+fi
+
+run ./configure --enable-maintainer-mode $@