diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7a17d5d..bac5b2b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,31 +3,38 @@
 # Copyright 2007-2008 Jonathan Moore Liles
 # This file is licencesd under version 2 of the GPL.
 
-# config
-prefix=/usr/local/
+VERSION := 1.9.1
+
+all: make.conf non
+
+make.conf: configure
+	@ ./configure
+
+config:
+	@ ./configure
+
+-include make.conf
 
 SYSTEM_PATH=$(prefix)/share/non-sequencer/
 DOCUMENT_PATH=$(prefix)/share/doc/non-sequencer/
-USE_LASH=1
 
-VERSION=1.9.1
-
-# Debugging
-CFLAGS:=-O0 -ggdb -fno-omit-frame-pointer -Wall
-# Production
-# CFLAGS:=-O3 -fomit-frame-pointer -DNDEBUG
+ifeq ($(USE_DEBUG),yes)
+	CXXFLAGS := -pipe -ggdb -Wall -Wextra -Wnon-virtual-dtor -Wno-missing-field-initializers -O0 -fno-rtti -fno-exceptions
+else
+	CXXFLAGS := -pipe -O3 -fno-rtti -fno-exceptions -DNDEBUG
+endif
 
 CFLAGS+=-DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" \
 	-DINSTALL_PREFIX=\"$(prefix)\" \
 	-DSYSTEM_PATH=\"$(SYSTEM_PATH)\" \
 	-DDOCUMENT_PATH=\"$(DOCUMENT_PATH)\"
 
-CXXFLAGS:=$(CFLAGS) -fno-exceptions -fno-rtti `fltk-config --cxxflags` `pkg-config jack --atleast-version 0.105 || echo -DJACK_MIDI_PROTO_API` `pkg-config jack --cflags` `pkg-config --cflags sigc++-2.0`
-LIBS=`pkg-config --libs jack` `fltk-config --use-images --ldflags` `pkg-config --libs sigc++-2.0`
+CXXFLAGS:=$(CFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(FLTK_CFLAGS) $(sigcpp_CFLAGS) $(LASH_CFLAGS)
 
-ifeq ($(USE_LASH),1)
-	LIBS+=-llash
-	CXXFLAGS+=-DUSE_LASH `pkg-config --cflags lash-1.0`
+LIBS:=$(FLTK_LIBS) $(JACK_LIBS) $(LASH_LIBS) $(sigcpp_LIBS)
+
+ifeq ($(JACK_MIDI_PROTO_API),yes)
+	CXXFLAGS+=-DJACK_MIDI_PROTO_API
 endif
 
 # uncomment this line to print each playback event to the console (not RT safe)
@@ -59,31 +66,33 @@ SRCS= \
 
 OBJS=$(SRCS:.C=.o)
 
-.PHONEY: all clean install dist valgrind
-
-all: non makedepend
+.PHONEY: all clean install dist valgrind config
 
 clean:
 	rm -f non makedepend $(OBJS)
-	@ echo Done
+	@ echo "$(DONE)"
 
 valgrind:
 	valgrind ./non
 
+include scripts/colors
+
 .C.o:
-	@ echo -n "Compiling: "; tput bold; tput setaf 3; echo $<; tput sgr0; true
+	@ echo "Compiling: $(BOLD)$(YELLOW)$<$(SGR0)"
 	@ $(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
 %.C : %.fl
-	@ cd gui && fluid -c ../$<
+	@ cd `dirname $<` && fluid -c ../$<
 
-$(OBJS): Makefile
+$(OBJS): make.conf
+
+DONE:=$(BOLD)$(GREEN)done$(SGR0)
 
 non: $(OBJS)
 	@ echo -n "Linking..."
 	@ rm -f $@
-	@ $(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(LIBS) $(OBJS) -o $@ || (tput bold; tput setaf 1; echo Error!; tput sgr0)
-	@ if test -x $@; then tput bold; tput setaf 2; echo done; tput sgr0; test -x "$(prefix)/bin/$@" || echo "You must now run 'make install' (as the appropriate user) to install the executable, documentation and other support files in order for the program to function properly."; fi
+	@ $(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(LIBS) $(OBJS) -o $@ || echo "$(BOLD)$(RED)Error!$(SGR0)"
+	@ if test -x $@; then echo "$(DONE)"; test -x "$(prefix)/bin/$@" || echo "You must now run 'make install' (as the appropriate user) to install the executable, documentation and other support files in order for the program to function properly."; fi
 
 install: all
 	@ echo -n "Installing..."
@@ -92,8 +101,7 @@ install: all
 	@ cp -r instruments "$(SYSTEM_PATH)"
 	@ mkdir -p "$(DOCUMENT_PATH)"
 	@ cp doc/*.html doc/*.png "$(DOCUMENT_PATH)"
-	@ tput bold; tput setaf 2; echo done; tput sgr0
-#	make -C doc install
+	@ echo "$(DONE)"
 
 dist:
 	git archive --prefix=non-sequencer-$(VERSION)/ v$(VERSION) | bzip2 > non-sequencer-$(VERSION).tar.bz2
@@ -101,9 +109,8 @@ dist:
 TAGS: $(SRCS)
 	etags $(SRCS)
 
-makedepend: $(SRCS)
+makedepend: make.conf $(SRCS)
 	@ echo -n Checking dependencies...
-	@ makedepend -f- -- $(CXXFLAGS) -- $(SRCS) > makedepend 2>/dev/null && echo done.
+	@ makedepend -f- -- $(CXXFLAGS) -- $(SRCS) > makedepend 2>/dev/null && echo "$(DONE)"
 
-
-include makedepend
+-include makedepend
diff --git a/configure b/configure
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ee491bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/configure
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2008 Jonathan Moore Liles
+# This file is licensed under version 2 of the GPL.
+
+. scripts/config-funcs
+
+begin
+
+begin_options
+
+ask "Install prefix?" prefix /usr/local
+ask "Require LASH?" USE_LASH yes
+ask "Build for debugging?" USE_DEBUG no
+
+begin_tests
+
+require_FLTK 1.1.7 images
+require_command FLUID fluid
+require_package JACK 0.103.0 jack
+test_version `version_of jack` -ge 0.105.0 || append "JACK_MIDI_PROTO_API=yes"
+
+require_package sigcpp 2.0.0 sigc++-2.0
+
+using LASH && require_package LASH 0.5.4 lash-1.0
+
+end
diff --git a/lash.C b/lash.C
index 0b98dc7..4a6c4b5 100644
--- a/lash.C
+++ b/lash.C
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 // TODO: produce Save_Project events...
 
-#ifndef USE_LASH
+#ifndef HAVE_LASH
 
 Lash::Lash ( ) {}
 bool Lash::init ( int *argc, char ***argv ) { return true; }
diff --git a/lash.H b/lash.H
index e07ce34..5067374 100644
--- a/lash.H
+++ b/lash.H
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#ifdef USE_LASH
+#ifdef HAVE_LASH
 #include <lash/lash.h>
 #endif
 
 class Lash
 {
 
-#ifdef USE_LASH
+#ifdef HAVE_LASH
     lash_client_t *_client;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/scripts/colors b/scripts/colors
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a167f78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/colors
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+
+# Include this file to use terminal colors from shell scripts and
+# makefiles.
+# john moore liles - 12/30/2002
+
+BLACK=`tput setaf 0`
+RED=`tput setaf 1`
+GREEN=`tput setaf 2`
+YELLOW=`tput setaf 3`
+BLUE=`tput setaf 4`
+MAGENTA=`tput setaf 5`
+CYAN=`tput setaf 6`
+WHITE=`tput setaf 7`
+
+BG_BLACK=`tput setab 0`
+BG_RED=`tput setab 1`
+BG_GREEN=`tput setab 2`
+BG_YELLOW=`tput setab 3`
+BG_BLUE=`tput setab 4`
+BG_MAGENTA=`tput setab 5`
+BG_CYAN=`tput setab 6`
+BG_WHITE=`tput setab 7`
+
+BOLD=`tput bold`
+SGR0=`tput sgr0`
diff --git a/scripts/config-funcs b/scripts/config-funcs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..229707a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/config-funcs
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2008 Jonathan Moore Liles
+# This file is licensed under version 2 of the GPL.
+
+. scripts/colors
+
+# support functions for 'configure' scripts.
+
+
+fatal ()
+{
+    echo "$BOLD$RED$*$SGR0" > /dev/stderr
+    exit 255
+}
+
+[ $# -gt 0 ] && fatal "This is not an autoconf script. Run it without any options and you will be prompted."
+
+ask ()
+{
+   local A D
+
+   D="`eval echo \\$$2`"
+   D=${D:-$3}
+
+   echo -n "$BLACK$BOLD::$SGR0 $1 [$BOLD${D}$SGR0] "
+   read A
+   A=${A:-$D}
+
+   if [ "$3" = yes ] || [ "$3" = no ]
+     then
+       case "$A" in
+           no | n | N) A=no ;;
+           yes | y | Y) A=yes ;;
+           * ) fatal "Invalid response. Must be 'yes' or 'no'" ;;
+       esac
+   fi
+
+   append "${2}=${A:-$D}"
+}
+
+ok ()
+{
+    echo "$BOLD${GREEN}ok${SGR0}"
+}
+
+failed ()
+{
+    echo "$BOLD${RED}failed!${SGR0}" > /dev/stderr
+    rm -f make.conf
+}
+
+using ()
+{
+    [ "`eval echo \\$USE_$1`" = yes ]
+
+    return $?
+}
+
+extract_options ()
+{
+    local line;
+
+    if [ -f make.conf ]
+    then
+        {
+            while read line
+            do
+                [ "$line" = "## options" ] && break
+            done
+
+            while read line
+            do
+                if [ "$line" = "## libs" ]
+                then
+                    break
+                else
+                    eval "$line"
+                fi
+            done
+        } < make.conf
+    fi
+}
+
+begin ()
+{
+    echo -n "Checking sanity..."
+    require_command pkg-config pkg-config > /dev/null
+    ok
+}
+
+begin_options ()
+{
+    # get the old values
+    extract_options
+
+    echo > make.conf
+    append "# This file was automatically generated on `date`. Any changes may be lost!"
+    append "## options"
+
+    echo "--- Configuration required ---"
+}
+
+begin_tests ()
+{
+    append "## libs"
+    extract_options
+}
+
+append ()
+{
+    echo "$1" >> make.conf
+}
+
+end ()
+{
+    echo "--- Configuration complete ---"
+    touch make.conf
+}
+
+require_command ()
+{
+    echo -n "Checking for ${BOLD}$1${SGR0}..."
+
+    if ! [ -x "`which $2`" ]
+    then
+	failed
+	fatal "Command $1 not found."
+    else
+	ok
+    fi
+}
+
+require_package ()
+{
+    echo -n "Checking for $BOLD$1$SGR0..."
+    if ! pkg-config --exists $3
+    then
+    	failed
+	fatal "Required package $1 doesn't appear to be installed."
+    elif ! pkg-config --atleast-version $2 $3
+    then
+        failed
+        fatal "The installed version of $1 (`pkg-config --mod-version $3`) is too old."
+    fi
+
+    append "${1}_LIBS=`pkg-config --libs $3`"
+    append "${1}_CFLAGS=-DHAVE_${1} `pkg-config --cflags $3`"
+
+    ok
+    return 0
+}
+
+_test_version ()
+{
+    [ $1 $4 $5 ] && [ $2 $4 $6 ] && [ $3 $4 $7 ]
+}
+
+test_version ()
+{
+    local IFS
+    IFS='.'
+
+    if  [ $2 != -ge ] && [ $2 != -le ]
+    then
+       fatal "Syntax error"
+    fi
+
+    _test_version $1 $2 $3
+}
+
+version_of ()
+{
+    echo `pkg-config --modversion $1`
+}
+
+require_FLTK ()
+{
+    local use
+
+    echo -n "Checking for ${BOLD}FLTK${SGR0}..."
+
+    FLTK_VERSION=`fltk-config --version`
+
+    if ! test_version $FLTK_VERSION -ge $1
+    then
+        failed
+        fatal "The installed FLTK version ($FLTK_VERSION) is too old."
+    else
+        ok
+    fi
+
+    use=
+
+    while [ $# -gt 1 ]
+    do
+        shift 1
+        use="$use --use-$1"
+    done
+
+    append "FLTK_LIBS=`fltk-config $use --ldflags`"
+    append "FLTK_CFLAGS=`fltk-config $use --cflags`"
+}