diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index fca87d833..751badeda 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4,9 +4,18 @@
 AC_PREREQ(2.61)
 AC_INIT(task, 1.9.0.beta2, support@taskwarrior.org)
 
+
+# Source type.
+AC_PROG_CXX
+AC_PROG_CC
+AC_LANG(C++)
+
+
+# Local copies for modification and later AC_SUBST.
 CFLAGS="${CFLAGS=}"
 CXXFLAGS="${CXXFLAGS=}"
 
+
 # this macro is used to get the arguments supplied
 # to the configure script (./configure --enable-debug)
 # Check if we have enable debug support.
@@ -14,15 +23,18 @@ AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether to enable debugging)
 debug_default="no"
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug, [  --enable-debug=[no/yes] turn on debugging
                        [default=$debug_default]],, enable_debug=$debug_default)
-# Yes, shell scripts can be used
-if test "$enable_debug" = "yes"; then
-  CXXFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -pedantic -ggdb3 -DDEBUG"
+
+if test "x$enable_debug" = "xyes"; then
+  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -pedantic -ggdb3 -DDEBUG"
+  CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wall -pedantic -ggdb3 -DDEBUG"
   AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
 else
-  CXXFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -pedantic -O3"
+  CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Wall -pedantic -O3"
+  CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Wall -pedantic -O3"
   AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 fi
 
+
 # Check for OS.
 OS=`uname|sed -e 'y/ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ/abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz/'|cut -c 1-5`
 if test "$OS" = "sunos"; then
@@ -51,55 +63,118 @@ else
   AC_DEFINE([UNKNOWN], [], [Compiling on Unknown])
 fi
 
-# Check for Lua.
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([lua],   AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-lua], [Disable feature lua]))
-AC_ARG_WITH(lua-inc, [--with-lua-inc=DIR, Lua include files are in DIR],lua_inc=$withval,lua_inc='')
-AC_ARG_WITH(lua-lib, [--with-lua-lib=DIR, Lua library files are in DIR],lua_lib=$withval,lua_lib='')
 
-if test "x$enable_lua" = "xyes" ; then
-    ac_save_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-    ac_save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
-    ac_save_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
+# ncurses enabled by default.
+AC_ARG_WITH([ncurses],
+            [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-ncurses], [disable support for ncurses])],
+            [with_ncurses=no],
+            [with_ncurses=yes])
 
-    LUA_CFLAGS=""
-    LUA_LFLAGS=""
+AC_ARG_WITH([ncurses-inc],
+            [AS_HELP_STRING ([--with-ncurses-inc=DIR], [ncurses include files are in DIR])],
+            [ncurses_inc=$withval],
+            [ncurses_inc=''])
 
-    if test -n "$lua_inc"; then
-       CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I$lua_inc"
-       CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I$lua_inc"
-    fi
-    if test -n "$lua_lib"; then
-       LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$lua_lib"
-       LUA_LFLAGS="-llua"
-    fi
+AC_ARG_WITH([ncurses-lib],
+            [AS_HELP_STRING ([--with-ncurses-lib=DIR], [ncurses lib files are in DIR])],
+            [ncurses_lib=$withval],
+            [ncurses_lib=''])
+
+if test "x$with_ncurses" == "xyes" ; then
+  AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBNCURSES], [1], [Defined if you have libncurses])
+  if test -n "$ncurses_inc"; then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I$ncurses_inc"
+    CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -I$ncurses_inc"
+  fi
+
+  if test -n "$ncurses_lib"; then
+    LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$ncurses_lib"
+  fi
+
+  AC_CHECK_LIB([ncurses],[main])
 fi
 
-if test "x$enable_lua" = "xyes" ; then
-    AC_SUBST(LUA_CFLAGS)
-    AC_SUBST(LUA_LFLAGS)
-    AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBLUA], [1], [Building with Lua support])
+
+# Readline enabled by default.
+#AC_ARG_WITH([readline],
+#            [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-readline], [disable support for readline])],
+#            [with_readline=no],
+#            [with_readline=yes])
+#
+#AC_ARG_WITH([readline-inc],
+#            [AS_HELP_STRING ([--with-readline-inc=DIR], [readline include files are in DIR])],
+#            [readline_inc=$withval],
+#            [readline_inc=''])
+#
+#AC_ARG_WITH([readline-lib],
+#            [AS_HELP_STRING ([--with-readline-lib=DIR], [readline lib files are in DIR])],
+#            [readline_lib=$withval],
+#            [readline_lib=''])
+#
+#if test "x$with_readline" == "xyes" ; then
+#  AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBREADLINE], [1], [Defined if you have libreadline])
+#  if test -n "$readline_inc"; then
+#    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I$readline_inc"
+#    CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -I$readline_inc"
+#  fi
+#
+#  if test -n "$readline_lib"; then
+#    LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$readline_lib"
+#  fi
+#
+#  AC_CHECK_LIB([readline],[main])
+#fi
+
+
+# Lua disabled by default.
+AC_ARG_WITH([lua],
+            [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-lua], [enable support for lua])],
+            [with_lua=yes],
+            [with_lua=no])
+
+AC_ARG_WITH([lua-inc],
+            [AS_HELP_STRING ([--with-lua-inc=DIR], [lua include files are in DIR])],
+            [lua_inc=$withval],
+            [lua_inc=''])
+
+AC_ARG_WITH([lua-lib],
+            [AS_HELP_STRING ([--with-lua-lib=DIR], [lua lib files are in DIR])],
+            [lua_lib=$withval],
+            [lua_lib=''])
+
+if test "x$with_lua" == "xyes" ; then
+  AC_DEFINE([HAVE_LIBLUA], [1], [Defined if you have liblua])
+  if test -n "$lua_inc"; then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I$lua_inc"
+    CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -I$lua_inc"
+  fi
+
+  if test -n "$lua_lib"; then
+    LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$lua_lib"
+  fi
+
+  AC_CHECK_LIB([lua],[main])
 fi
 
+
+# Allow the changes above to take effect.
+AC_SUBST(CFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(CXXFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(LDFLAGS)
+
+
+# Now the smaller details.
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/main.cpp])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADER([auto.h])
 
-# Checks for programs.
-AC_PROG_CXX
-AC_PROG_CC
-AC_LANG(C++)
-
-AC_SUBST(CFLAGS)
-
-# Checks for libraries.
-AC_CHECK_LIB(ncurses,initscr)
-AC_CHECK_LIB(lua,lua_open)
 
 # Checks for header files.
 AC_HEADER_STDC
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([stdlib.h sys/file.h sys/stat.h sys/time.h unistd.h])
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sstream string vector map])
 
+
 # Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 AC_HEADER_STDBOOL
 AC_C_CONST
@@ -108,15 +183,19 @@ AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
 AC_HEADER_TIME
 AC_STRUCT_TM
 
+
 # Checks for library functions.
 AC_FUNC_MKTIME
 AC_FUNC_SELECT_ARGTYPES
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([select])
-#AC_CHECK_FUNC(flock, [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_FLOCK], [1], [Found flock])])
 AC_CHECK_FUNC(uuid_unparse_lower, [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_UUID], [1], [Found uuid_unparse_lower])])
 AC_CHECK_FUNC(random, [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_RANDOM], [1], [Found random])])
 AC_CHECK_FUNC(srandom, [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_SRANDOM], [1], [Found srandom])])
 
+
+# Generate the Makefiles.
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile src/Makefile])
 AC_OUTPUT
 
+# End.
+