diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e4c6aaec..b8bc2b7a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
 dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
-AC_PREREQ([2.64])
+AC_PREREQ([2.69])
+m4_define([libsubid_abi_major], 1)
+m4_define([libsubid_abi_minor], 0)
+m4_define([libsubid_abi_micro], 0)
+m4_define([libsubid_abi], [libsubid_abi_major.libsubid_abi_minor.libsubid_abi_micro])
 AC_INIT([shadow], [4.8.1], [pkg-shadow-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org], [],
 	[https://github.com/shadow-maint/shadow])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.11 foreign dist-xz])
+AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIRS([m4])
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 
+AC_SUBST([LIBSUBID_ABI_MAJOR], [libsubid_abi_major])
+AC_SUBST([LIBSUBID_ABI_MINOR], [libsubid_abi_minor])
+AC_SUBST([LIBSUBID_ABI_MICRO], [libsubid_abi_micro])
+AC_SUBST([LIBSUBID_ABI], [libsubid_abi])
+
 dnl Some hacks...
 test "$prefix" = "NONE" && prefix="/usr"
 test "$prefix" = "/usr" && exec_prefix=""