diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 45a20fb86..cb81a7487 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,18 +2,22 @@ dnl
 dnl Configure.in file for the Midnight Commander
 dnl
 
-AC_PREREQ(2.60)
-AC_INIT([GNU Midnight Commander], [], [mc-devel@gnome.org])
+dnl 2.64 is required at least for m4_esyscmd_s()
+AC_PREREQ(2.64)
+AC_INIT([GNU Midnight Commander], m4_esyscmd_s([maint/utils/version.sh .]),
+        [https://www.midnight-commander.org/wiki/NewTicket], [mc],
+        [https://www.midnight-commander.org/])
 m4_pattern_forbid(MC_)
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(config)
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(src/main.c)
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS(config.h)
-mc_VERSION
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(mc, ${VERSION} )
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
 dnl Enable silent rules by default (if yes)
 m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])])
 
+mc_VERSION
+
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
 
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
diff --git a/doc/HACKING b/doc/HACKING
index 530641857..c2db65654 100644
--- a/doc/HACKING
+++ b/doc/HACKING
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Compiling from GIT
 To compile GNU Midnight commander from GIT, the following software is
 required:
 
-Autoconf 2.60 and above (latest is recommended)
+Autoconf 2.64 and above (latest is recommended)
 Automake 1.12 and above (latest is recommended)
 Gettext 0.18.1 and above
 Glib 2.30 and above
diff --git a/doc/INSTALL b/doc/INSTALL
index d958a7a04..60838aeac 100644
--- a/doc/INSTALL
+++ b/doc/INSTALL
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Build requirements for GNU Midnight Commander
 - glibc
 - gcc
 - make
-- autoconf >= 2.60
+- autoconf >= 2.64
 - automake >= 1.12
 - libtool
 - glib2 >= 2.30
diff --git a/m4.include/mc-version.m4 b/m4.include/mc-version.m4
index af6529126..10ef4583a 100644
--- a/m4.include/mc-version.m4
+++ b/m4.include/mc-version.m4
@@ -3,21 +3,17 @@ dnl
 dnl Get current version of Midnight Commander from git tags
 dnl
 dnl @author Slava Zanko <slavazanko@gmail.com>
-dnl @version 2021-03-13
+dnl @version 2021-03-20
 dnl @license GPL
 dnl @copyright Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 dnl @modified Andrew Borodin <aborodin@vmail.ru>
 
 AC_DEFUN([mc_VERSION],[
-    if test ! -f ${srcdir}/version.h; then
-        ${srcdir}/maint/utils/version.sh ${srcdir}
-    fi
     if test -f ${srcdir}/version.h; then
         VERSION=$(grep '^#define MC_CURRENT_VERSION' ${srcdir}/version.h | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)"$/\1/')
     else
         VERSION="unknown"
     fi
-    AC_SUBST(VERSION)
 
     dnl Version without dashes for the man page
     DISTR_VERSION=`echo $VERSION | sed 's/^\([[^\-]]*\).*/\1/'`
diff --git a/maint/utils/version.sh b/maint/utils/version.sh
index 64405191f..47107ffda 100755
--- a/maint/utils/version.sh
+++ b/maint/utils/version.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ mc_print_version(){
 #endif
 EOF
     fi
+    echo "${CURR_MC_VERSION}"
     exit
 }