diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f29fe334d7..8631a72aba 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-SUBDIRS=gst-libs gst sys ext examples tools
+SUBDIRS=gst-libs gst sys ext examples tools testsuite
 
-DIST_SUBDIRS=gst-libs gst sys ext examples tools
+DIST_SUBDIRS=gst-libs gst sys ext examples tools testsuite
 
 EXTRA_DIST=gst-plugins.spec depcomp AUTHORS COPYING README RELEASE ChangeLog autogen.sh
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d018f56a6c..7e7d98ba0f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -90,12 +90,19 @@ else
 fi
 
 dnl check for gstreamer; uninstalled is selected preferentially -- see pkg-config(1)
-PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GST, gstreamer >= 0.3.1, HAVE_GST="yes", HAVE_GST="no")
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(GST, gstreamer >= $GST_PLUGINS_MAJOR.$GST_PLUGINS_MINOR.$GST_PLUGINS_MICRO,
+  HAVE_GST="yes", HAVE_GST="no")
 
 if test "x$HAVE_GST" = "xno"; then
   AC_MSG_ERROR(no GStreamer found)
 fi
 
+GST_TOOLS_DIR=`pkg-config --variable=toolsdir gstreamer`
+if test -z $GST_TOOLS_DIR; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([no tools dir defined in GStreamer pkg-config file; core upgrade needed.])
+fi
+AC_SUBST(GST_TOOLS_DIR)
+
 dnl Set up conditionals for (target) architecture:
 dnl ==============================================
 
@@ -791,6 +798,7 @@ gst-libs/gst/riff/Makefile
 examples/capsfilter/Makefile
 examples/Makefile
 tools/Makefile
+testsuite/Makefile
 )
 
 AC_OUTPUT