diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8bcae2b1..d028ea19 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,89 +1,93 @@
 *.swp
 Makefile.in
 aclocal.m4
 autoconf
 autoheader
 autom4te.cache
 automake
 autoscan.log
 compile
 configure
 configure.scan
 config.guess
 config.log
 config.sub
 config.status
 Makefile
 depcomp
 install-sh
 libtoolize
 ltmain.sh
 libtool
 make/stamp-h1
-m4
+
+# ignore "libtoolized" m4 files, but keep our (enumerated) ones
+/m4/*
+!/m4/ac_python_module.m4
+
 make/clusterautoconfig.h*
 missing
 *.pc
 .deps
 .libs
 *.o
 *.la
 *.lo
 fence/agents/alom/fence_alom
 fence/agents/apc/fence_apc
 fence/agents/apc_snmp/fence_apc_snmp
 fence/agents/baytech/fence_baytech
 fence/agents/bladecenter/fence_bladecenter
 fence/agents/brocade/fence_brocade
 fence/agents/bullpap/fence_bullpap
 fence/agents/cisco_mds/fence_cisco_mds
 fence/agents/cisco_ucs/fence_cisco_ucs
 fence/agents/cpint/fence_cpint
 fence/agents/docker/fence_docker
 fence/agents/drac/fence_drac
 fence/agents/drac5/fence_drac5
 fence/agents/eaton_snmp/fence_eaton_snmp
 fence/agents/egenera/fence_egenera
 fence/agents/eps/fence_eps
 fence/agents/ibmblade/fence_ibmblade
 fence/agents/ifmib/fence_ifmib
 fence/agents/ilo/fence_ilo
 fence/agents/ilo_mp/fence_ilo_mp
 fence/agents/intelmodular/fence_intelmodular
 fence/agents/ipdu/fence_ipdu
 fence/agents/ipmilan/fence_ipmilan
 fence/agents/ldom/fence_ldom
 fence/agents/lib/fencing.py
 fence/agents/lib/fencing_snmp.py
 fence/agents/lib/fencing.pyc
 fence/agents/lib/fencing_snmp.pyc
 fence/agents/lpar/fence_lpar
 fence/agents/manual/fence_ack_manual
 fence/agents/mcdata/fence_mcdata
 fence/agents/netio/fence_netio
 fence/agents/node_assassin/fence_na
 fence/agents/node_assassin/fence_na.conf
 fence/agents/node_assassin/fence_na.lib
 fence/agents/node_assassin/fence_na.pod
 fence/agents/nss_wrapper/fence_nss_wrapper
 fence/agents/pve/fence_pve
 fence/agents/rackswitch/fence_rackswitch
 fence/agents/rhevm/fence_rhevm
 fence/agents/raritan/fence_raritan
 fence/agents/rsa/fence_rsa
 fence/agents/rsb/fence_rsb
 fence/agents/sanbox2/fence_sanbox2
 fence/agents/scsi/fence_scsi
 fence/agents/scsi/fence_scsi_test
 fence/agents/virsh/fence_virsh
 fence/agents/vixel/fence_vixel
 fence/agents/vmware/fence_vmware
 fence/agents/vmware/fence_vmware_helper
 fence/agents/wti/fence_wti
 fence/agents/xcat/fence_xcat
 fence/agents/zvm/fence_zvm
 fence/agents/zvm/fence_zvmip
 .fence*.tmp
 fence-agents*
 .version
 tests/devices.d/*
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 5e2e22dc..e5ee3203 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,46 +1,49 @@
 EXTRA_DIST		= autogen.sh make/fencebuild.mk scripts/fenceparse \
 			  .version make/release.mk \
 			  make/git-version-gen make/gitlog-to-changelog tests
 
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS	= foreign
 
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES	= Makefile.in aclocal.m4 configure depcomp \
 			  config.guess config.sub missing install-sh \
 			  autoheader automake autoconf libtool libtoolize \
 			  ltmain.sh compile make/clusterautoconfig.h.in \
 			  make/clusterautoconfig.h.in~ autoscan.log \
 			  configure.scan
 
 noinst_HEADERS		= make/copyright.cf
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS		= -I m4
 
 SUBDIRS			= fence/agents/lib fence doc
 
 install-exec-local:
 			$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)/$(LOGDIR)
 			$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)/$(CLUSTERVARRUN)
 
 uninstall-local:
 			rmdir $(DESTDIR)/$(LOGDIR) || :;
 			rmdir $(DESTDIR)/$(CLUSTERVARRUN) || :;
 
 BUILT_SOURCES = .version
 .version:
 	echo $(VERSION) > $@-t && mv $@-t $@
 
 dist-hook: gen-ChangeLog
 	echo $(VERSION) > $(distdir)/.tarball-version
 
 gen_start_date = 2000-01-01
 .PHONY: gen-ChangeLog
 gen-ChangeLog:
 	if test -d .git; then						\
 		$(top_srcdir)/make/gitlog-to-changelog			\
 			--since=$(gen_start_date) > $(distdir)/cl-t;	\
 		rm -f $(distdir)/ChangeLog;				\
 		mv $(distdir)/cl-t $(distdir)/ChangeLog;		\
 	fi
 
+# this will get rid of "libtoolized" m4 files
 maintainer-clean-local:
-	rm -rf m4
+	rm -rf $(filter-out \
+	         $(top_srcdir)/m4/ac_python_module.m4,$(wildcard \
+		                                        $(top_srcdir)/m4/*.m4))
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index ee22af80..f718cc68 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # Run this to generate all the initial makefiles, etc.
-mkdir -p m4
+# ("-I make" is superfluous, kept only for legacy purposes, if any)
 autoreconf -i -I make -v && echo Now run ./configure and make
diff --git a/make/ac_python_module.m4 b/m4/ac_python_module.m4
similarity index 100%
rename from make/ac_python_module.m4
rename to m4/ac_python_module.m4