diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index a3638cb243..9cec531900 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -1,20 +1,40 @@
 dnl Configure Paths for Alsa
+dnl Some modifications by Richard Boulton <richard-alsa@tartarus.org>
 dnl Christopher Lansdown <lansdoct@cs.alfred.edu>
 dnl Jaroslav Kysela <perex@suse.cz>
 dnl Last modification: 07/12/2000
-dnl AM_PATH_ALSA(MINIMUM-VERSION)
+dnl AM_PATH_ALSA([MINIMUM-VERSION [, ACTION-IF-FOUND [, ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND]]])
 dnl Test for libasound, and define ALSA_CFLAGS and ALSA_LIBS as appropriate.
-dnl enables arguments --with-alsa-prefix= --with-alsa-enc-prefix= --disable-alsatest
+dnl enables arguments --with-alsa-prefix=
+dnl                   --with-alsa-enc-prefix=
+dnl                   --disable-alsatest  (this has no effect, as yet)
+dnl
+dnl For backwards compatibility, if ACTION_IF_NOT_FOUND is not specified,
+dnl and the alsa libraries are not found, a fatal AC_MSG_ERROR() will result.
 dnl
 AC_DEFUN(AM_PATH_ALSA,
-[dnl
-dnl Get the clfags and libraries for alsa
+[dnl Save the original CFLAGS, LDFLAGS, and LIBS
+alsa_save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
+alsa_save_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
+alsa_save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+alsa_found=yes
+
 dnl
-AC_ARG_WITH(alsa-prefix,[  --with-alsa-prefix=PFX  Prefix where Alsa library is installed(optional)],
-	[alsa_prefix="$withval"], [alsa_prefix=""])
-AC_ARG_WITH(alsa-inc-prefix, [  --with-alsa-inc-prefix=PFX  Prefix where include libraries are (optional)],
-	[alsa_inc_prefix="$withval"], [alsa_inc_prefix=""])
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(alsatest, [  --disable-alsatest      Do not try to compile and run a test Alsa program], [enable_alsatest=no], [enable_alsatest=yes])
+dnl Get the cflags and libraries for alsa
+dnl
+AC_ARG_WITH(alsa-prefix,
+[  --with-alsa-prefix=PFX  Prefix where Alsa library is installed(optional)],
+[alsa_prefix="$withval"], [alsa_prefix=""])
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(alsa-inc-prefix,
+[  --with-alsa-inc-prefix=PFX  Prefix where include libraries are (optional)],
+[alsa_inc_prefix="$withval"], [alsa_inc_prefix=""])
+
+dnl FIXME: this is not yet implemented
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(alsatest,
+[  --disable-alsatest      Do not try to compile and run a test Alsa program],
+[enable_alsatest=no],
+[enable_alsatest=yes])
 
 dnl Add any special include directories
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for ALSA CFLAGS)
@@ -28,13 +48,12 @@ dnl add any special lib dirs
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for ALSA LDFLAGS)
 if test "$alsa_prefix" != "" ; then
 	ALSA_LIBS="$ALSA_LIBS -L$alsa_prefix"
-	LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L$alsa_prefix"
+	LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS $ALSA_LIBS"
 fi
 
 dnl add the alsa library
 ALSA_LIBS="$ALSA_LIBS -lasound -lm -ldl"
-alsa_save_LIBS="$LIBS"
-LIBS="$LIBS -lasound -lm -ldl"
+LIBS="$ALSA_LIBS $LIBS"
 AC_MSG_RESULT($ALSA_LIBS)
 
 dnl Check for a working version of libasound that is of the right version.
@@ -90,18 +109,27 @@ exit(0);
 ],
   [AC_MSG_RESULT(found.)],
   [AC_MSG_RESULT(not present.)
-   AC_MSG_WARN(Sufficiently new version of libasound not found.)
-   LIBS="$alsa_save_LIBS"
-   ]
+   ifelse([$3], , [AC_MSG_ERROR(Sufficiently new version of libasound not found.)])
+   alsa_found=no]
 )
 AC_LANG_RESTORE
 
 dnl Now that we know that we have the right version, let's see if we have the library and not just the headers.
 AC_CHECK_LIB([asound], [snd_defaults_card],,
-	[AC_MSG_WARN(No linkable libasound was found.)
-	 LIBS="$alsa_save_LIBS"]
+	[ifelse([$3], , [AC_MSG_ERROR(No linkable libasound was found.)])
+	 alsa_found=no]
 )
 
+if test "x$alsa_found" = "xyes" ; then
+   ifelse([$2], , :, [$2])
+fi
+if test "x$alsa_found" = "xno" ; then
+   ifelse([$3], , :, [$3])
+   CFLAGS="$alsa_save_CFLAGS"
+   LDFLAGS="$alsa_save_LDFLAGS"
+   LIBS="$alsa_save_LIBS"
+fi
+
 dnl That should be it.  Now just export out symbols:
 AC_SUBST(ALSA_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(ALSA_LIBS)