diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 66d05ec..04f7a47 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 WITH=		
 
 # Compiler options passed to subordinate makes
-OPT=		-O
+OPT=		@OPT@
 
 # Subdirectories where to run make recursively
 SUBDIRS=	Parser Objects Python Modules
diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index ff6490e..a3fc506 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -225,6 +225,9 @@
 /* Define if you have the <fcntl.h> header file.  */
 #undef HAVE_FCNTL_H
 
+/* Define if you have the <limits.h> header file.  */
+#undef HAVE_LIMITS_H
+
 /* Define if you have the <signal.h> header file.  */
 #undef HAVE_SIGNAL_H
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 6eb0ec8..67ae07a 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -17,10 +17,19 @@
 	esac
 	CC=$withval])
 AC_PROG_CC
-AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_RANLIB
 AC_SUBST(AR)
 AC_PROGRAMS_CHECK(AR, ar aal, ar)
+AC_SUBST(INSTALL)
+# Install just never works :-(
+if test -z "$INSTALL"
+then INSTALL=cp
+fi
+AC_SUBST(OPT)
+# Optimizer/debugger flags passed between Makefiles
+if test -z "$OPT"
+then OPT=-O
+fi
 
 # checks for UNIX variants that set C preprocessor variables
 AC_AIX
@@ -62,14 +71,13 @@
 
 AC_CHECKING(for --with-readline)
 AC_WITH(readline, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_READLINE)
-if test -d "$withval"
-then LIBS="$LIBS -L$withval"
-else AC_ERROR(proper usage is --with-readline=DIRECTORY)
+if test ! -d "$withval"
+then AC_ERROR(proper usage is --with-readline=DIRECTORY)
 fi
 termcap=
 AC_HAVE_LIBRARY(termcap, [termcap=termcap], [AC_HAVE_LIBRARY(termlib, [termcap=termlib])])
 if test ! -z "$termcap"
-then LIBS="$LIBS -lreadline"
+then LIBS="$LIBS $withval/libreadline.a"
      # Avoid possible conflict between shared libraries termcap and gl
      # on IRIX 5: both contain a routine called clear.
      if test -f /usr/lib/lib$termcap.a