diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 4944ec4..fd5f368 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-next-archs)
 	AC_ARG_WITH(next-archs,
-	 [--with-next-archs='arch1 arch2 ..'   build MAB binary], [
+	 [  --with-next-archs='arch1 arch2 ..'   build MAB binary], [
 		if test -n "$withval"; then
 		    ac_arch_flags=`/usr/lib/arch_tool -archify_list $withval`
 		    # GCC does not currently support multi archs on the NeXT
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@
 fi
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(next-framework,
-[--with-next-framework     Build (OpenStep|Rhapsody|MacOS10) framework],,)
-AC_ARG_WITH(dyld, 
-[--with-dyld               Use (OpenStep|Rhapsody|MacOS10) dynamic linker],,)
+[  --with-next-framework           Build (OpenStep|Rhapsody|MacOSX) framework],,)
+AC_ARG_WITH(dyld,
+[  --with-dyld                     Use (OpenStep|Rhapsody|MacOSX) dynamic linker],,)
 
 # Set name for machine-dependent library files
 AC_SUBST(MACHDEP)
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
 
 # checks for alternative programs
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --without-gcc)
-AC_ARG_WITH(gcc, [--without-gcc             never use gcc], [
+AC_ARG_WITH(gcc, [  --without-gcc                   never use gcc], [
 	case $withval in
 	no)	CC=cc
 		without_gcc=yes;;
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
 AC_SUBST(MAINOBJ)
 MAINOBJ=python.o
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-cxx=<compiler>)
-AC_ARG_WITH(cxx, [--with-cxx=<compiler>     enable C++ support],[
+AC_ARG_WITH(cxx, [  --with-cxx=<compiler>           enable C++ support],[
 	case $withval in
 	no)	CXX=
 		with_cxx=no;;
@@ -612,26 +612,27 @@
 esac
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-libs)
-AC_ARG_WITH(libs, [--with-libs='lib1 ...'    link against additional libs], [
+AC_ARG_WITH(libs,
+[  --with-libs='lib1 ...'          link against additional libs], [
 AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
 LIBS="$withval $LIBS"
 ], AC_MSG_RESULT(no))
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with(out)-readline)
 AC_ARG_WITH(readline,
-[--with(out)-readline      obsolete, edit Modules/Setup instead],
+[  --with(out)-readline            obsolete, edit Modules/Setup instead],
 [AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
 AC_ERROR(--with(out)-readline is obsolete, edit Modules/Setup instead)],
 [AC_MSG_RESULT(not specified.)])
 
 AC_SUBST(USE_THREAD_MODULE)
-USE_THREAD_MODULE="#"
+USE_THREAD_MODULE=""
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-dec-threads)
 AC_SUBST(LDLAST)
 AC_ARG_WITH(dec-threads,
-[--with-dec-threads        use DEC Alpha/OSF1 thread-safe libraries],
-[AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
+[  --with-dec-threads              use DEC Alpha/OSF1 thread-safe libraries], [
+AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
 LDLAST=-threads
 if test "${with_thread+set}" != set; then
    with_thread="$withval";
@@ -639,70 +640,78 @@
 AC_MSG_RESULT(no))
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-threads)
-AC_ARG_WITH(threads, [--with-threads            alias for --with-thread],
-[AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
-if test "${with_thread+set}" != set; then
-   with_thread="$withval";
-fi],
-AC_MSG_RESULT(no))
+AC_ARG_WITH(threads,
+[  --with(out)-threads[=DIRECTORY] disable/enable thread support])
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-thread)
-AC_ARG_WITH(thread, [--with-thread[=DIRECTORY] make interpreter thread-safe], [
-USE_THREAD_MODULE=
-AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
-if test -d "$withval"
-then LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$withval"
+# --with-thread is deprecated, but check for it anyway
+AC_ARG_WITH(thread,,[with_threads=$with_thread])
+
+if test -z "$with_threads"
+then with_threads="yes"
 fi
-AC_DEFINE(_REENTRANT)
-AC_CHECK_HEADER(mach/cthreads.h, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(C_THREADS)
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
-AC_CHECK_LIB(pth, pth_init, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(_GNU_PTH)
-LIBS="-lpth $LIBS"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
-AC_CHECK_LIB(pthread, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
-LIBS="-lpthread $LIBS"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
-AC_CHECK_FUNC(pthread_detach, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
-AC_CHECK_HEADER(kernel/OS.h, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(BEOS_THREADS)
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
-AC_CHECK_LIB(pthreads, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
-LIBS="$LIBS -lpthreads"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"], [
-AC_CHECK_LIB(c_r, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
-LIBS="$LIBS -lc_r"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"], [
-AC_CHECK_LIB(thread, __d6_pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
-LIBS="$LIBS -lthread"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"], [
-AC_CHECK_LIB(cma, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
-LIBS="$LIBS -lcma"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"])
-])])])])])])])])
+AC_MSG_RESULT($with_threads)
 
-AC_CHECK_LIB(mpc, usconfig, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-LIBS="$LIBS -lmpc"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"])
-AC_CHECK_LIB(thread, thr_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
-LIBS="$LIBS -lthread"
-LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"])
-], AC_MSG_RESULT(no))
+if test "$with_threads" = "no"
+then
+    USE_THREAD_MODULE="#"
+else
+    if test -d "$with_threads"
+    then LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$with_threads"
+    fi
+    if test -d "$withval"
+    then LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$withval"
+    fi
+    AC_DEFINE(_REENTRANT)
+    AC_CHECK_HEADER(mach/cthreads.h, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(C_THREADS)
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(pth, pth_init, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(_GNU_PTH)
+    LIBS="-lpth $LIBS"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(pthread, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
+    LIBS="-lpthread $LIBS"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
+    AC_CHECK_FUNC(pthread_detach, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
+    AC_CHECK_HEADER(kernel/OS.h, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(BEOS_THREADS)
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"],[
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(pthreads, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
+    LIBS="$LIBS -lpthreads"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"], [
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(c_r, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
+    LIBS="$LIBS -lc_r"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"], [
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(thread, __d6_pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
+    LIBS="$LIBS -lthread"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"], [
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(cma, pthread_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    AC_DEFINE(_POSIX_THREADS)
+    LIBS="$LIBS -lcma"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"])
+    ])])])])])])])])
+
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(mpc, usconfig, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    LIBS="$LIBS -lmpc"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"])
+    AC_CHECK_LIB(thread, thr_create, [AC_DEFINE(WITH_THREAD)
+    LIBS="$LIBS -lthread"
+    LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS thread.o"])
+fi
 
 # -I${DLINCLDIR} is added to the compile rule for importdl.o
 AC_SUBST(DLINCLDIR)
 DLINCLDIR=/
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-sgi-dl)
-AC_ARG_WITH(sgi-dl, [--with-sgi-dl=DIRECTORY   IRIX 4 dynamic linking], [
+AC_ARG_WITH(sgi-dl,
+[  --with-sgi-dl=DIRECTORY         IRIX 4 dynamic linking], [
 AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
 AC_DEFINE(WITH_SGI_DL)
 DYNLOADFILE="dynload_dl.o"
@@ -715,7 +724,7 @@
 LIBS="$LIBS -ldl -lmld"], AC_MSG_RESULT(no))
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-dl-dld)
-AC_ARG_WITH(dl-dld, [--with-dl-dld=DL_DIR,DLD_DIR  GNU dynamic linking], [
+AC_ARG_WITH(dl-dld, [  --with-dl-dld=DL_DIR,DLD_DIR    GNU dynamic linking], [
 AC_MSG_RESULT($withval)
 AC_DEFINE(WITH_DL_DLD)
 DYNLOADFILE="dynload_dl.o"
@@ -958,7 +967,8 @@
 
 # Check for --with-fpectl
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-fpectl)
-AC_ARG_WITH(fpectl, [--with-fpectl             enable SIGFPE catching], [
+AC_ARG_WITH(fpectl,
+[  --with-fpectl                   enable SIGFPE catching], [
 if test "$withval" != no
 then AC_DEFINE(WANT_SIGFPE_HANDLER) AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
 else AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
@@ -973,7 +983,7 @@
 *) LIBM=-lm
 esac
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-libm=STRING)
-AC_ARG_WITH(libm, [--with-libm=STRING        math library], [
+AC_ARG_WITH(libm, [  --with-libm=STRING              math library], [
 if test "$withval" = no
 then LIBM=
      AC_MSG_RESULT(force LIBM empty)
@@ -987,7 +997,7 @@
 # check for --with-libc=...
 AC_SUBST(LIBC)
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-libc=STRING)
-AC_ARG_WITH(libc, [--with-libc=STRING        C library], [
+AC_ARG_WITH(libc, [  --with-libc=STRING              C library], [
 if test "$withval" = no
 then LIBC=
      AC_MSG_RESULT(force LIBC empty)
@@ -1082,7 +1092,7 @@
 # Check for --with-wctype-functions
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-wctype-functions)
 AC_ARG_WITH(wctype-functions, 
-[--with-wctype-functions   use wctype.h functions], [
+[  --with-wctype-functions         use wctype.h functions], [
 if test "$withval" != no
 then AC_DEFINE(WANT_WCTYPE_FUNCTIONS) AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
 else AC_MSG_RESULT(no)