diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index dba812f4a..0054e1e2f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,20 +39,14 @@ Makefile
 Makefile.in
 aclocal.m4
 autom4te.cache/
-compile
-config.guess
 config.h
 config.h.in
 config.log
 config.status
-config.sub
 configure
-depcomp
-install-sh
 libtool
-ltmain.sh
 m4/
-missing
+autotools/
 stamp-h1
 test_join_bucket_keeper
 test_lrec
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index cf897fc81..5700d3ae3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ AC_PREREQ([2.60])
 AC_INIT([mlr],[2.0.0],[email@address.missing])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([c/mlrmain.c])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
+AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([autotools])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE