diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 04ed503568..edb9bacce6 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -82,13 +82,22 @@ version_check ()
   fi
 }
 
+# autoconf 2.52d has a weird issue involving a yes:no error
+# so don't allow it's use
+ac_version=`autoconf --version|head -n 1|sed 's/^[a-zA-z\.\ ()]*//;s/ .*$//'`
+if test "$ac_version" = "2.52d"; then
+  echo "autoconf 2.52d has an issue with our current build."
+  echo "We don't know who's to blame however.  So until we do, get a"
+  echo "regular version.  RPM's of a working version are on the gstreamer site."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+
 version_check "autoconf" "ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/autoconf/" 2 52 || DIE=1
 version_check "automake" "ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/automake/" 1 5 || DIE=1
 version_check "libtool" "ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/libtool/" 1 4 0 || DIE=1
 version_check "pkg-config" "http://www.freedesktop.org/software/pkgconfig" 0 7 0 || DIE=1
 
-echo
-
 if test "$DIE" -eq 1; then
 	exit 1
 fi