diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9563c04e7..0bdc81059 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -427,7 +427,6 @@ PACKAGE_STRING='mapnik 0.1'
 PACKAGE_BUGREPORT=''
 
 ac_unique_file="src/params.cc"
-ac_default_prefix=
 ac_subdirs_all="$ac_subdirs_all libltdl utils/shapeindex"
 # Factoring default headers for most tests.
 ac_includes_default="\
@@ -1958,7 +1957,6 @@ am__tar='${AMTAR} chof - "$$tardir"'; am__untar='${AMTAR} xf -'
 
 
 
- (/usr/local)
 
 
 
@@ -3688,7 +3686,7 @@ ia64-*-hpux*)
   ;;
 *-*-irix6*)
   # Find out which ABI we are using.
-  echo '#line 3691 "configure"' > conftest.$ac_ext
+  echo '#line 3689 "configure"' > conftest.$ac_ext
   if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_compile\"") >&5
   (eval $ac_compile) 2>&5
   ac_status=$?
@@ -5267,7 +5265,7 @@ fi
 
 
 # Provide some information about the compiler.
-echo "$as_me:5270:" \
+echo "$as_me:5268:" \
      "checking for Fortran 77 compiler version" >&5
 ac_compiler=`set X $ac_compile; echo $2`
 { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_compiler --version </dev/null >&5\"") >&5
@@ -6324,11 +6322,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:6327: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:6325: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:6331: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:6329: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s "$ac_outfile"; then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
      # So say no if there are warnings
@@ -6567,11 +6565,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:6570: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:6568: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:6574: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:6572: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s "$ac_outfile"; then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
      # So say no if there are warnings
@@ -6627,11 +6625,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:6630: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:6628: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>out/conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat out/conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:6634: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:6632: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s out/conftest2.$ac_objext
    then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
@@ -8812,7 +8810,7 @@ else
   lt_dlunknown=0; lt_dlno_uscore=1; lt_dlneed_uscore=2
   lt_status=$lt_dlunknown
   cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
-#line 8815 "configure"
+#line 8813 "configure"
 #include "confdefs.h"
 
 #if HAVE_DLFCN_H
@@ -8910,7 +8908,7 @@ else
   lt_dlunknown=0; lt_dlno_uscore=1; lt_dlneed_uscore=2
   lt_status=$lt_dlunknown
   cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
-#line 8913 "configure"
+#line 8911 "configure"
 #include "confdefs.h"
 
 #if HAVE_DLFCN_H
@@ -11103,11 +11101,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:11106: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:11104: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:11110: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:11108: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s "$ac_outfile"; then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
      # So say no if there are warnings
@@ -11163,11 +11161,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:11166: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:11164: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>out/conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat out/conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:11170: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:11168: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s out/conftest2.$ac_objext
    then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
@@ -12524,7 +12522,7 @@ else
   lt_dlunknown=0; lt_dlno_uscore=1; lt_dlneed_uscore=2
   lt_status=$lt_dlunknown
   cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
-#line 12527 "configure"
+#line 12525 "configure"
 #include "confdefs.h"
 
 #if HAVE_DLFCN_H
@@ -12622,7 +12620,7 @@ else
   lt_dlunknown=0; lt_dlno_uscore=1; lt_dlneed_uscore=2
   lt_status=$lt_dlunknown
   cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
-#line 12625 "configure"
+#line 12623 "configure"
 #include "confdefs.h"
 
 #if HAVE_DLFCN_H
@@ -13459,11 +13457,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:13462: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:13460: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:13466: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:13464: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s "$ac_outfile"; then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
      # So say no if there are warnings
@@ -13519,11 +13517,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:13522: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:13520: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>out/conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat out/conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:13526: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:13524: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s out/conftest2.$ac_objext
    then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
@@ -15554,11 +15552,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:15557: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:15555: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:15561: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:15559: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s "$ac_outfile"; then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
      # So say no if there are warnings
@@ -15797,11 +15795,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:15800: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:15798: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:15804: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:15802: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s "$ac_outfile"; then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
      # So say no if there are warnings
@@ -15857,11 +15855,11 @@ else
    -e 's:.*FLAGS}? :&$lt_compiler_flag :; t' \
    -e 's: [^ ]*conftest\.: $lt_compiler_flag&:; t' \
    -e 's:$: $lt_compiler_flag:'`
-   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:15860: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
+   (eval echo "\"\$as_me:15858: $lt_compile\"" >&5)
    (eval "$lt_compile" 2>out/conftest.err)
    ac_status=$?
    cat out/conftest.err >&5
-   echo "$as_me:15864: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+   echo "$as_me:15862: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
    if (exit $ac_status) && test -s out/conftest2.$ac_objext
    then
      # The compiler can only warn and ignore the option if not recognized
@@ -18042,7 +18040,7 @@ else
   lt_dlunknown=0; lt_dlno_uscore=1; lt_dlneed_uscore=2
   lt_status=$lt_dlunknown
   cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
-#line 18045 "configure"
+#line 18043 "configure"
 #include "confdefs.h"
 
 #if HAVE_DLFCN_H
@@ -18140,7 +18138,7 @@ else
   lt_dlunknown=0; lt_dlno_uscore=1; lt_dlneed_uscore=2
   lt_status=$lt_dlunknown
   cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
-#line 18143 "configure"
+#line 18141 "configure"
 #include "confdefs.h"
 
 #if HAVE_DLFCN_H
@@ -23373,7 +23371,7 @@ fi
                                                             ac_config_files="$ac_config_files Makefile m4/Makefile src/Makefile src/shape/Makefile src/raster/Makefile src/postgis/Makefile"
 
 
-pluginsdir="$(prefix)/plugins"
+pluginsdir="${prefix}/plugins"
 
 
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3cc1e3212..44633998d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ AC_REVISION([$Revision: 1.1 $])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/params.cc])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([dist-bzip2])
 
-AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT (/usr/local)
 AC_LIBTOOL_DLOPEN
 AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS(libltdl utils/shapeindex)
 
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ fi
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile m4/Makefile src/Makefile src/shape/Makefile src/raster/Makefile src/postgis/Makefile])
 
-AC_SUBST([pluginsdir],["$(prefix)/plugins"])
+AC_SUBST([pluginsdir],["${prefix}/plugins"])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([_DATASOURCE_PLUGINS_DIR],["$pluginsdir"],[datasource plugins dir])
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_TIFF_READER],[test "$HAVE_LIBTIFF" = yes])