diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b55c1d144..931d367f3 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -6,5 +6,3 @@ ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 ${ACLOCAL_FLAGS}
 DISTCLEANFILES = intltool-extract intltool-merge intltool-update po/stamp-it po/.intltool-merge-cache
 
 DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = --enable-gtk-doc
-
-ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 ${ACLOCAL_FLAGS}
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b845f0191..77000ac41 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -125,8 +125,6 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([xwayland-path],
 AM_GLIB_GNU_GETTEXT
 
 ## here we get the flags we'll actually use
-# GRegex requires Glib-2.14.0
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES(ALL, glib-2.0 >= 2.14.0)
 
 # Unconditionally use this dir to avoid a circular dep with gnomecc
 GNOME_KEYBINDINGS_KEYSDIR="${datadir}/gnome-control-center/keybindings"
@@ -299,17 +297,6 @@ fi
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_SM, test "$found_sm" = "yes")
 
-HOST_ALIAS=$host_alias
-AC_SUBST(HOST_ALIAS)
-
-AC_PATH_PROG(GDK_PIXBUF_CSOURCE, gdk-pixbuf-csource, no)
-
-if test x"$GDK_PIXBUF_CSOURCE" = xno; then
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([gdk-pixbuf-csource executable not found in your path - should be installed with GTK])
-fi
-
-AC_SUBST(GDK_PIXBUF_CSOURCE)
-
 AC_PATH_PROG(ZENITY, zenity, no)
 if test x"$ZENITY" = xno; then
   AC_MSG_ERROR([zenity not found in your path - needed for dialogs])
diff --git a/data/Makefile.am b/data/Makefile.am
index 3ad550e5a..58f590006 100644
--- a/data/Makefile.am
+++ b/data/Makefile.am
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-defaultcursordir = $(datadir)/mutter/cursors
+defaultcursordir = $(pkgdatadir)/cursors
 
 dist_defaultcursor_DATA = left_ptr.png
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 68649528c..6d2920b8f 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES = libmutter.la
 
 SUBDIRS=compositor/plugins
 
-INCLUDES=								\
+AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-DCLUTTER_ENABLE_COMPOSITOR_API					\
 	-DCLUTTER_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API				\
 	-DCOGL_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API					\
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ INCLUDES=								\
 	-I$(srcdir)/ui							\
 	-I$(srcdir)/compositor						\
 	-DMUTTER_LIBEXECDIR=\"$(libexecdir)\"				\
-	-DHOST_ALIAS=\"@HOST_ALIAS@\"					\
-	-DMUTTER_LOCALEDIR=\"$(prefix)/@DATADIRNAME@/locale\"		\
+	-DMUTTER_LOCALEDIR=\"$(localedir)\"				\
 	-DMUTTER_PKGDATADIR=\"$(pkgdatadir)\"				\
 	-DMUTTER_DATADIR=\"$(datadir)\"					\
 	-DG_LOG_DOMAIN=\"mutter\"					\
@@ -29,9 +28,9 @@ INCLUDES=								\
 	-DMUTTER_MICRO_VERSION=$(MUTTER_MICRO_VERSION)			\
 	-DMUTTER_PLUGIN_API_VERSION=$(MUTTER_PLUGIN_API_VERSION)	\
 	-DMUTTER_PKGLIBDIR=\"$(pkglibdir)\"				\
-	-DMUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR=\"@MUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR@\"			\
+	-DMUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR=\"$(MUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR)\"			\
 	-DGETTEXT_PACKAGE=\"$(GETTEXT_PACKAGE)\"			\
-	-DXWAYLAND_PATH='"@XWAYLAND_PATH@"'
+	-DXWAYLAND_PATH=\"$(XWAYLAND_PATH)\"
 
 mutter_built_sources = \
 	$(dbus_idle_built_sources)		\
@@ -324,7 +323,7 @@ INTROSPECTION_GIRS = Meta-$(api_version).gir
 Meta-$(api_version).gir: libmutter.la
 @META_GIR@_INCLUDES = GObject-2.0 GDesktopEnums-3.0 Gdk-3.0 Gtk-3.0 Clutter-1.0 xlib-2.0 xfixes-4.0 Cogl-1.0
 @META_GIR@_EXPORT_PACKAGES = libmutter
-@META_GIR@_CFLAGS = $(INCLUDES)
+@META_GIR@_CFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
 @META_GIR@_LIBS = libmutter.la
 @META_GIR@_FILES =				\
 	mutter-enum-types.h			\
@@ -351,7 +350,7 @@ desktopfiles_in_files=mutter.desktop.in
 desktopfiles_files=$(desktopfiles_in_files:.desktop.in=.desktop)
 desktopfiles_DATA = $(desktopfiles_files)
 
-xmldir       = @GNOME_KEYBINDINGS_KEYSDIR@
+xmldir       = $(GNOME_KEYBINDINGS_KEYSDIR)
 xml_in_files = \
         50-mutter-navigation.xml.in	\
         50-mutter-system.xml.in		\
diff --git a/src/compositor/plugins/Makefile.am b/src/compositor/plugins/Makefile.am
index 156c3cbe6..365824561 100644
--- a/src/compositor/plugins/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/compositor/plugins/Makefile.am
@@ -1,12 +1,25 @@
 
-pkglibdir=@MUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR@
+pkglibdir = $(MUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR)
 
-INCLUDES=@MUTTER_CFLAGS@ -I $(top_srcdir)/src -DMUTTER_LIBEXECDIR=\"$(libexecdir)\" -DHOST_ALIAS=\"@HOST_ALIAS@\" -DMUTTER_LOCALEDIR=\"$(prefix)/@DATADIRNAME@/locale\" -DMUTTER_PKGDATADIR=\"$(pkgdatadir)\" -DMUTTER_DATADIR=\"$(datadir)\" -DG_LOG_DOMAIN=\"mutter\" -DSN_API_NOT_YET_FROZEN=1 -DMUTTER_MAJOR_VERSION=$(MUTTER_MAJOR_VERSION) -DMUTTER_MINOR_VERSION=$(MUTTER_MINOR_VERSION) -DMUTTER_MICRO_VERSION=$(MUTTER_MICRO_VERSION) -DMUTTER_PLUGIN_API_VERSION=$(MUTTER_PLUGIN_API_VERSION) -DMUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR=\"@MUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR@\"
+AM_CPPFLAGS = \
+	$(MUTTER_CFLAGS)						\
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/src						\
+	-DMUTTER_LIBEXECDIR=\"$(libexecdir)\"				\
+	-DMUTTER_LOCALEDIR=\"$(localedir)\"				\
+	-DMUTTER_PKGDATADIR=\"$(pkgdatadir)\"				\
+	-DMUTTER_DATADIR=\"$(datadir)\"					\
+	-DG_LOG_DOMAIN=\"mutter\"					\
+	-DSN_API_NOT_YET_FROZEN=1					\
+	-DMUTTER_MAJOR_VERSION=$(MUTTER_MAJOR_VERSION)			\
+	-DMUTTER_MINOR_VERSION=$(MUTTER_MINOR_VERSION)			\
+	-DMUTTER_MICRO_VERSION=$(MUTTER_MICRO_VERSION)			\
+	-DMUTTER_PLUGIN_API_VERSION=$(MUTTER_PLUGIN_API_VERSION)	\
+	-DMUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR=\"$(MUTTER_PLUGIN_DIR)\"
 
 default_la_CFLAGS   = -fPIC
 default_la_SOURCES  = default.c
 default_la_LDFLAGS  = -module -avoid-version -no-undefined
-default_la_LIBADD   = @CLUTTER_LIBS@
+default_la_LIBADD   = $(CLUTTER_LIBS)
 
 pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = default.la