diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5f91173..3551d4a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ AC_INIT([libxcb],
         [xcb@lists.freedesktop.org])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([xcb.pc.in])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign dist-bzip2])
+m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])])
 
 AM_PATH_PYTHON([2.5])