1. avoid rebuilding documentation
2. avoid non-portable syntax

--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 AC_GNU_SOURCE
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 
+# avoid rebuilding documentation
+AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
+
 ##########################################################################
 #
 # Try to figure out if we are building from git sources.
@@ -1285,11 +1288,6 @@
 if test -d $srcdir/doc; then
    AC_CONFIG_FILES(doc/Makefile)
 fi
-if test -d $srcdir/doc/gs; then
-   AC_CONFIG_FILES(doc/gs/Makefile)
-   AC_CONFIG_FILES(doc/gs/gafrc)
-   AC_CONFIG_FILES(doc/gs/gschemrc)
-fi
 if test -d $srcdir/example; then
    AC_CONFIG_FILES(example/Makefile)
    AC_CONFIG_FILES(example/libraries/Makefile)
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES= $(INTLTOOL_FILES)
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
-DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS := ${DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS} --disable-update-mime-database --disable-update-desktop-database GTK_UPDATE_ICON_THEME_BIN=true --with-gui=batch
+DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = ${DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS} --disable-update-mime-database --disable-update-desktop-database GTK_UPDATE_ICON_THEME_BIN=true --with-gui=batch