diff --git a/aclocal.m4 b/aclocal.m4
index ac03af27d97..328a345a601 100644
--- a/aclocal.m4
+++ b/aclocal.m4
@@ -140,7 +140,25 @@ dnl
 dnl Usage: AC_REQUIRE([WINE_CONFIG_HELPERS])
 dnl
 AC_DEFUN([WINE_CONFIG_HELPERS],
-[wine_fn_append_file ()
+[AC_SUBST(ALL_MAKEFILE_DEPENDS,["# Makefile dependencies"])
+AC_SUBST(ALL_WINETEST_DEPENDS,["# Test binaries"])
+
+AC_SUBST(ALL_MAKERULES,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_SYMLINKS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_TOP_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_DLL_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_TOOL_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_STATICLIB_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_STATIC_LIBS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_IMPORT_LIBS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_INSTALL_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_TEST_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_TEST_BINARIES,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_PROGRAM_DIRS,"")
+AC_SUBST(ALL_PROGRAM_BIN_INSTALL_DIRS,"")
+
+wine_fn_append_file ()
 {
     AS_VAR_APPEND($[1]," \\$as_nl	$[2]")
 }
@@ -318,8 +336,8 @@ dnl **** Create a make rules file from config.status ****
 dnl
 dnl Usage: WINE_CONFIG_MAKERULES(file,var,deps)
 dnl
-AC_DEFUN([WINE_CONFIG_MAKERULES],
-[WINE_APPEND_FILE(ALL_MAKERULES,[$1])
+AC_DEFUN([WINE_CONFIG_MAKERULES],[AC_REQUIRE([WINE_CONFIG_HELPERS])dnl
+WINE_APPEND_FILE(ALL_MAKERULES,[$1])
 WINE_APPEND_RULE(ALL_MAKEFILE_DEPENDS,[$1: m4_ifval([$3],[$1.in $3],[$1.in]) config.status])
 $2=$1
 AC_SUBST_FILE([$2])dnl
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1ee7db241a6..346ec70e950 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -608,10 +608,10 @@ ALL_TOOL_DIRS
 ALL_DLL_DIRS
 ALL_TOP_DIRS
 ALL_DIRS
-ALL_WINETEST_DEPENDS
-ALL_MAKEFILE_DEPENDS
 ALL_SYMLINKS
 ALL_MAKERULES
+ALL_WINETEST_DEPENDS
+ALL_MAKEFILE_DEPENDS
 LDAPLIBS
 LIBPOLL
 LIBDL
@@ -13778,15 +13778,20 @@ fi ;;
 esac
 
 
-ALL_MAKERULES=""
 
-ALL_SYMLINKS=""
+
+ac_config_commands="$ac_config_commands include/stamp-h"
+
 
 ALL_MAKEFILE_DEPENDS="# Makefile dependencies"
 
 ALL_WINETEST_DEPENDS="# Test binaries"
 
 
+ALL_MAKERULES=""
+
+ALL_SYMLINKS=""
+
 ALL_DIRS=""
 
 ALL_TOP_DIRS=""
@@ -13812,11 +13817,6 @@ ALL_PROGRAM_DIRS=""
 ALL_PROGRAM_BIN_INSTALL_DIRS=""
 
 
-
-
-ac_config_commands="$ac_config_commands include/stamp-h"
-
-
 wine_fn_append_file ()
 {
     as_fn_append $1 " \\$as_nl	$2"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 55edefcbbba..a22b9845194 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2118,24 +2118,6 @@ esac
 
 dnl **** Generate output files ****
 
-AC_SUBST(ALL_MAKERULES,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_SYMLINKS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_MAKEFILE_DEPENDS,["# Makefile dependencies"])
-AC_SUBST(ALL_WINETEST_DEPENDS,["# Test binaries"])
-
-AC_SUBST(ALL_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_TOP_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_DLL_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_TOOL_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_STATICLIB_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_STATIC_LIBS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_IMPORT_LIBS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_INSTALL_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_TEST_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_TEST_BINARIES,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_PROGRAM_DIRS,"")
-AC_SUBST(ALL_PROGRAM_BIN_INSTALL_DIRS,"")
-
 AH_TOP([#define __WINE_CONFIG_H])
 
 AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS([include/stamp-h], [echo timestamp > include/stamp-h])