diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d9a90c1981..dd10f09a26 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -71,12 +71,16 @@ dnl Make sha1.c happy on big endian systems
 dnl
 AC_C_BIGENDIAN
 
+# Add runstatedir if not specified manually in autoconf < 2.70
+AS_IF([test -z "$runstatedir"], runstatedir="$localstatedir/run")
+AC_SUBST(runstatedir)
+
 # NetworkManager paths
 AC_SUBST(nmbinary, "$sbindir/$PACKAGE", [NetworkManager binary executable])
 AC_SUBST(nmconfdir, "$sysconfdir/$PACKAGE", [NetworkManager configuration directory])
 AC_SUBST(nmdatadir, "$datadir/$PACKAGE", [NetworkManager shared data directory])
 AC_SUBST(nmstatedir, "$localstatedir/lib/$PACKAGE", [NetworkManager persistent state directory])
-AC_SUBST(nmrundir, "$localstatedir/run/$PACKAGE", [NetworkManager runtime state directory])
+AC_SUBST(nmrundir, "$runstatedir/$PACKAGE", [NetworkManager runtime state directory])
 
 # Alternative configuration plugins
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(config-plugin-ibft, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-config-plugin-ibft], [enable ibft configuration plugin]))
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index bc823435ef..911bec9163 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS += \
 	-DDATADIR=\"$(datadir)\" \
 	-DLIBEXECDIR=\"$(libexecdir)\" \
 	-DLOCALSTATEDIR=\"$(localstatedir)\" \
+	-DRUNSTATEDIR=\"$(runstatedir)\" \
 	-DSBINDIR=\"$(sbindir)\" \
 	-DSYSCONFDIR=\"$(sysconfdir)\" \
 	-DRUNDIR=\"$(rundir)\" \
@@ -539,7 +540,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	$(dbusservice_DATA) \
 	$(NetworkManager_DATA)
 
-rundir=$(localstatedir)/run/NetworkManager
+rundir=$(runstatedir)/NetworkManager
 statedir=$(localstatedir)/lib/NetworkManager
 install-data-hook:
 	$(mkinstalldirs) -m 0700 $(DESTDIR)$(rundir)
diff --git a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c
index 60cddbd30d..a951e3ea56 100644
--- a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c
+++ b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ dhclient_start (NMDhcpClient *client,
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	pid_file = g_strdup_printf (LOCALSTATEDIR "/run/dhclient%s-%s.pid",
+	pid_file = g_strdup_printf (RUNSTATEDIR "/dhclient%s-%s.pid",
 		                        ipv6 ? "6" : "",
 		                        iface);
 
diff --git a/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c b/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c
index a85631bcb1..dfe776cb42 100644
--- a/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c
+++ b/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ nm_dnsmasq_manager_new (const char *iface)
 
 	priv = NM_DNSMASQ_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (manager);
 	priv->iface = g_strdup (iface);
-	priv->pidfile = g_strdup_printf (LOCALSTATEDIR "/run/nm-dnsmasq-%s.pid", iface);
+	priv->pidfile = g_strdup_printf (RUNSTATEDIR "/nm-dnsmasq-%s.pid", iface);
 
 	return manager;
 }