diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index f66e7781..15581120 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 if $run_configure; then
-    $srcdir/configure --enable-maintainer-mode --enable-developer --config-cache "$@"
+    $srcdir/configure --enable-developer --config-cache "$@"
     echo 
     echo "Now type 'make' to compile $PROJECT."
 else
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9feebfc2..52d23177 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ GETTEXT_PACKAGE=dbus-1
 AC_SUBST(GETTEXT_PACKAGE)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(GETTEXT_PACKAGE,"$GETTEXT_PACKAGE",[The name of the gettext domain])
 
-AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
+# By default, rebuild autotools files on demand; only use ./missing if the
+# user says --disable-maintainer-mode (some distributions like to do this)
+AM_MAINTAINER_MODE([enable])
 
 m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES],[AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])])