--- configure.in
+++ configure.in
@@ -3,25 +3,24 @@
 m4_define(LSYNCD_VERSION,1.26)
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(LSYNCD_PACKAGE,LSYNCD_VERSION)
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([xml_config],
-[  --enable-xml-config    Lsyncd is able to parse lsyncd.conf files (default: enabled)],
-[case "${enableval}" in
-  yes) xml_config=true ;;
-  no)  xml_config=false ;;
-  *) AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value ${enableval} for --enable-xml-config]) ;;
-esac],[xml_config=true])
-AM_CONDITIONAL(XML_CONFIG,[test x$xml_config = xtrue])
-
-#if test x$xml_config = xtrue; then
-#AM_PATH_XML2(2.5.0,,AC_MSG_ERROR([*** Libxml is required if you do not --disable-xml-config]))
-#fi
-
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
 
 AC_PROG_CC
+AM_PROG_CC_C_O
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/inotify.h])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([checking whether to use libxml2])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([xml],
+    [  --enable-xml      Lsyncd is able to parse lsyncd.conf files],
+    [enable_xml=$enableval],
+    [enable_xml="no"])
+AC_MSG_RESULT($enable_xml)
+if test "$enable_xml" = "yes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE(XML_CONFIG)
+  AM_PATH_XML2(2.4.0)
+fi
+
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 
 AC_OUTPUT(Makefile)
--- Makefile.am
+++ Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ## Makefile.am -- Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in
 bin_PROGRAMS = lsyncd
 lsyncd_SOURCES = lsyncd.c 
+lsyncd_CPPFLAGS = $(XML_CPPFLAGS)
+lsyncd_LDADD = $(XML_LIBS)
 TESTS = tests/help.sh \
 	tests/directorymv.sh \
 	tests/directorycpr.sh \
@@ -33,10 +35,3 @@
 	$(XP) -o $@ $(DB2MAN) $< 
 
 AM_CFLAGS=-Wall 
-AM_LDFLAGS=
-if XML_CONFIG
-DEFS+=-DXML_CONFIG
-AM_CFLAGS += `xml2-config --cflags`
-AM_LDFLAGS += `xml2-config --libs`
-endif
-