diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 2a1fb4a541..7dc264529a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -30,4 +30,11 @@ check-torture:
 	true
 endif
 
+# cruft: plugins that have been merged or moved or renamed
+CRUFT_FILES = \
+ $(top_builddir)/common/shave \
+ $(top_builddir)/common/shave-libtool
 
+include $(top_srcdir)/common/cruft.mak
+
+all-local: check-cruft
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bd76353316..1d407411f3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
 dnl sets host_* variables
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
 
+dnl use pretty build output with automake >= 1.11
+m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES],[AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])],
+ [AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=1
+ AC_SUBST(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY)])
+
 dnl our libraries and install dirs use major.minor as a version
 GST_MAJORMINOR=$GST_EDITING_SERVICES_VERSION_MAJOR.$GST_EDITING_SERVICES_VERSION_MINOR
 dnl we override it here if we need to for the release candidate of new series
@@ -234,8 +239,6 @@ dnl whatevertarget_LIBS and -L flags here affect the rest of the linking
 GST_ALL_LDFLAGS="-no-undefined"
 AC_SUBST(GST_ALL_LDFLAGS)
 
-SHAVE_INIT([common],[enable])
-
 dnl *** output files ***
 
 dnl po/Makefile.in
@@ -243,8 +246,6 @@ dnl po/Makefile.in
 AC_CONFIG_FILES(
 Makefile
 common/Makefile
-common/shave
-common/shave-libtool
 common/m4/Makefile
 gst-editing-services.spec
 m4/Makefile