diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index ac7dcb15..52b40e9f 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@ update-authors:
 DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = \
 	--with-systemdsystemunitdir=$$dc_install_base/$(systemdsystemunitdir)
 
-ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
+ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 ${ACLOCAL_FLAGS}
 
 include tools/lcov.am
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e8ac2aa2..42ec552b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.10 tar-ustar -Wno-portability])
 
-# Honor aclocal flags
-ACLOCAL="$ACLOCAL $ACLOCAL_FLAGS"
-
 GETTEXT_PACKAGE=dbus-1
 AC_SUBST(GETTEXT_PACKAGE)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(GETTEXT_PACKAGE,"$GETTEXT_PACKAGE",[The name of the gettext domain])