diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 1f48e39..e09a943 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ porting:
 	Check for linux/errqueue.h failed on some systems due to lack of
 	linux/types.h inclusion. Thanks to Michael Vastola for sending a patch.
 
+	autoconf now prefers configure.ac over configure.in
+	Thanks to Michael Vastola for sending a patch.
+
 	libwrap always logs to syslog
 
 	added actual text version of GPLv2
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 224569a..b48b3d6 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # source: Makefile.in
-# Copyright Gerhard Rieger 2001-2012
+# Copyright Gerhard Rieger
 # Published under the GNU General Public License V.2, see file COPYING
 
 # note: @...@ forms are filled in by configure script
@@ -162,7 +162,8 @@ socat.tar.bz2: socat.tar
 
 VERSION = `sed 's/"//g' VERSION`
 TARDIR = socat-$(VERSION)
-socat.tar: configure.in configure Makefile.in config.h.in install-sh VERSION $(CFILES) $(HFILES) $(DOCFILES) $(SHFILES) $(OSFILES) $(TESTFILES)
+socat.tar: configure.in configure Makefile.in config.h.in install-sh VERSION $(CFILES) $(HFILES) $(DOCFILES) $(SHFILES) $(OSFILES) $(TESTFILES) \
+	confiugre.ac
 	if [ ! -d $(TARDIR) ]; then mkdir $(TARDIR); fi
 	tar cf - $+ |(cd $(TARDIR); tar xf -)
 	tar cvf socat.tar $(TARDIR)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..2858741
--- /dev/null
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+configure.ac
\ No newline at end of file