diff --git a/gstlal-calibration/configure.ac b/gstlal-calibration/configure.ac
index 5c1384717ea58859a82e7465deb3fb2b584e0e8b..25a2c12826c2904796e695034e87bda5ae3d769b 100644
--- a/gstlal-calibration/configure.ac
+++ b/gstlal-calibration/configure.ac
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([gnuscripts/ltmain.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 tar-ustar foreign])
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS="${AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS} --add-missing --copy"
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([ \
 	Makefile \
 	gstlal-calibration.spec \
diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/configure.ac b/gstlal-inspiral/configure.ac
index d840569379b138b9eaf8c8d5e310b09ce528698f..658bf4009638337cf0fa3ec30edbfa1d409c9ed2 100644
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/configure.ac
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/configure.ac
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([gnuscripts/ltmain.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 tar-ustar foreign])
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS="${AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS} --add-missing --copy"
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([ \
 	Makefile \
 	gstlal-inspiral.spec \
diff --git a/gstlal-ugly/configure.ac b/gstlal-ugly/configure.ac
index b35b443658eb998377e2f115919f3c586880d9ae..0934b9c38abee987915d7cdc6de5df6615a34040 100644
--- a/gstlal-ugly/configure.ac
+++ b/gstlal-ugly/configure.ac
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([gnuscripts/ltmain.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 tar-ustar foreign])
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS="${AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS} --add-missing --copy"
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([ \
 	Makefile \
 	gstlal-ugly.spec \
diff --git a/gstlal/configure.ac b/gstlal/configure.ac
index b6b4725f78e1c0b9c1555a245dccbc6eee351693..c56d293f15435faf74a1097b3106b88c0fb3d4d2 100644
--- a/gstlal/configure.ac
+++ b/gstlal/configure.ac
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([gnuscripts/ltmain.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([gnuscripts])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 tar-ustar foreign])
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS="${AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS} --add-missing --copy"
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([ \
 	Makefile \
 	gstlal.spec \