diff --git a/packages/autobuild/autotools/tangram.ts b/packages/autobuild/autotools/tangram.ts
index 230c3c41..23194e2c 100644
--- a/packages/autobuild/autotools/tangram.ts
+++ b/packages/autobuild/autotools/tangram.ts
@@ -17,14 +17,35 @@ export type Arg = {
 
 export const build = tg.target(async (arg: Arg) => {
 	const { env: envArg, ...rest } = arg ?? {};
-
 	const env_ = envArg ?? env({ build: arg.build, host: arg.host });
-	const arg_ = { ...rest, env: env_ };
+
+	let source = arg.source;
+	if (needsReconf(source)) {
+		source = await reconfigure(source);
+	}
+	
+	const arg_ = { ...rest, env: env_, source };
 	return std.autotools.build(arg_);
 });
 
 export default build;
 
+export const needsReconf = async (source: tg.Directory): boolean => {
+	const entries = await source.entries();
+	const hasFile = (name: string) =>
+		entries.hasOwnProperty(name) && entries[name] instanceof tg.File;
+	return hasFile("configure.ac") && !hasFile("configure");
+}
+
+export const reconfigure = async (source: tg.Directory) => {
+	return $`cp -R ${source} $OUTPUT
+			chmod -R u+w $OUTPUT
+			cd $OUTPUT
+			autoreconf --install --verbose`
+		.env(autoconf(), automake())
+		.then(tg.Directory.expect);
+}
+
 export type EnvArg = {
 	build?: string | undefined;
 	host?: string | undefined;
diff --git a/packages/autobuild/tangram.ts b/packages/autobuild/tangram.ts
index aeaf7de1..f36cebf6 100644
--- a/packages/autobuild/tangram.ts
+++ b/packages/autobuild/tangram.ts
@@ -256,9 +256,8 @@ const testParamaters = (): Record<Kind, TestFnArg> => {
 };
 
 const testDirs = async (): Promise<Record<Kind, tg.Directory>> => {
-	const preparedAutotoolsTest = await prepareAutotoolsTestDistributionBundle();
 	return {
-		"cc-autotools": preparedAutotoolsTest,
+		"cc-autotools": ccAutotoolsTest,
 		cmake: cmakeTest,
 		go: goTest,
 		"js-node": jsNodeTest,
@@ -299,15 +298,3 @@ export const testKind = tg.target(async (kind: Kind) => {
 	await testStdout(testParamaters()[kind]);
 	return true;
 });
-
-/** We need to generate the distribution bundle for the `cc-autotools` test package, generating the configure scripts and intermediate makefile templates. */
-export const prepareAutotoolsTestDistributionBundle = tg.target(async () => {
-	const originalSource = ccAutotoolsTest;
-	return $`set -eux
-			cp -R ${originalSource} $OUTPUT
-			chmod -R u+w $OUTPUT
-			cd $OUTPUT
-			autoreconf --install --verbose`
-		.env(autoconf(), automake())
-		.then(tg.Directory.expect);
-});