--- autoconf-2.59.orig/lib/Autom4te/Configure_ac.pm	2003-09-12 09:35:00.000000000 +0100
+++ autoconf-2.59/lib/Autom4te/Configure_ac.pm	2006-03-25 20:42:23.000000000 +0000
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@
     {
       return $configure_in;
     }
+  else
+    {
+      print STDERR "NOTE: creating an empty configure.ac\n";
+      system ("touch $configure_ac");
+    }
   return $configure_ac;
 }