--- a/configure.ac	2012-05-13 13:20:21.000000000 -0700
+++ b/configure.ac	2012-05-13 13:19:55.000000000 -0700
@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@
 WORKING_VERSION=1
 AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS
 
 # automake 1.12 requires this, but automake 1.11 doesn't recognize it
-m4_pattern_allow([AM_PROG_AR])
-AM_PROG_AR
+m4_ifdef([AM_PROG_AR], [AM_PROG_AR])
 
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([-Wall -Werror foreign no-define])
 AC_PROG_CC()
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL()