diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 80da03b..0aa272a 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -1,26 +1,37 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # Run this to generate all the initial makefiles, etc.
+test -n "$srcdir" || srcdir=$(dirname "$0")
+test -n "$srcdir" || srcdir=.
 
-srcdir=`dirname $0`
-test -z "$srcdir" && srcdir=.
+olddir=$(pwd)
 
-ACLOCAL_FLAGS="-I libgd $ACLOCAL_FLAGS"
+cd $srcdir
 
-PKG_NAME="astrognome"
-
-(test -f $srcdir/configure.ac \
-  && test -f $srcdir/src/astrognome.c) || {
-    echo -n "**Error**: Directory "\`$srcdir\'" does not look like the"
-    echo " top-level $PKG_NAME directory"
-    exit 1
+(test -f configure.ac) || {
+        echo "*** ERROR: Directory '$srcdir' does not look like the top-level project directory ***"
+        exit 1
 }
 
-which gnome-autogen.sh || {
-    echo "gnome-autogen.sh not found, you need to install gnome-common"
-    exit 1
-}
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016
+PKG_NAME=$(autoconf --trace 'AC_INIT:$1' configure.ac)
 
-git submodule update --init --recursive
+if [ "$#" = 0 -a "x$NOCONFIGURE" = "x" ]; then
+        echo "*** WARNING: I am going to run 'configure' with no arguments." >&2
+        echo "*** If you wish to pass any to it, please specify them on the" >&2
+        echo "*** '$0' command line." >&2
+        echo "" >&2
+fi
 
-REQUIRED_AUTOMAKE_VERSION=1.9 . gnome-autogen.sh
+gtkdocize --copy || exit 1
+autoreconf --verbose --force --install || exit 1
 
+cd "$olddir"
+if [ "$NOCONFIGURE" = "" ]; then
+        $srcdir/configure "$@" || exit 1
+
+        if [ "$1" = "--help" ]; then exit 0 else
+                echo "Now type 'make' to compile $PKG_NAME" || exit 1
+        fi
+else
+        echo "Skipping configure process."
+fi
diff --git a/data/geonames/Makefile.am b/data/geonames/Makefile.am
index c3c323c..2865039 100644
--- a/data/geonames/Makefile.am
+++ b/data/geonames/Makefile.am
@@ -54,12 +54,12 @@ allCountries.txt: allCountries.zip
 	fi;
 
 cities.txt: allCountries.txt
-	$(AM_V_GEN) $(AWK) -f geonames_process.awk allCountries.txt > $@
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(AWK) -f $(VPATH)/geonames_process.awk allCountries.txt > $@
 
 geodata.xml: countryInfo.txt timeZones.txt cities.txt
 	$(AM_V_GEN) if test -x "$(PERL)"; then \
 	    if test "x$(have_geonames_perl_modules)" = "xyes" -o "x$(I_HAVE_PERL_MODULES)" = "xyes"; then \
-	        $(PERL) geonames_process.pl; \
+	        $(PERL) $(VPATH)/geonames_process.pl; \
 	    else \
 	        echo "XML::Writer and IO::File perl modules are required to process geonames data."; \
 	        echo "configure reported they are not installed. If you are sure they are,"; \