diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index a103be14..57dff42d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ endif
 BUILT_SOURCES = ./include/event2/event-config.h
 
 ./include/event2/event-config.h: config.h
-	@MKDIR_P@ ./include/event2
+	$(MKDIR_P) ./include/event2
 	echo '/* event2/event-config.h' > $@
 	echo ' *' >> $@
 	echo ' * This file was generated by autoconf when libevent was built, and post-' >> $@
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 919493a4..bd893f37 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 dnl configure.in for libevent
 dnl Dug Song <dugsong@monkey.org>
-AC_PREREQ(2.59c)
+AC_PREREQ(2.59)
 AC_INIT(event.c)
 
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ dnl Checks for programs.
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_LN_S
-AC_PROG_MKDIR_P
+# AC_PROG_MKDIR_P - $(MKDIR_P) should be defined by AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
 
 AC_PROG_GCC_TRADITIONAL
 
diff --git a/m4/ac_backport_259_ssizet.m4 b/m4/ac_backport_259_ssizet.m4
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..75fde386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/ac_backport_259_ssizet.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+AN_IDENTIFIER([ssize_t], [AC_TYPE_SSIZE_T])
+AC_DEFUN([AC_TYPE_SSIZE_T], [AC_CHECK_TYPE(ssize_t, int)])
+