diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 828ed7df0..623d444f3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 all:
 	make -C preprocessor
 	make -C doc
+.PHONY: all
 
 clean:
 	make -C preprocessor clean
@@ -8,16 +9,22 @@ clean:
 	rm -f matlab/dynare_m matlab/dynare_m.exe
 	rm -f mex/2007a/* mex/2007b/* mex/octave/*.mex
 	rm -f windows/*.exe
-	rm -f config.log config.status *~
+	rm -f *~
+.PHONY: clean
+
+distclean: clean
+	rm -f config.log config.status
 	rm -rf autom4te.cache
 	rm -f preprocessor/Makefile
+.PHONY: distclean
 
 DYNAREBASE=$(shell basename $(shell pwd))
 
 # Rule for creating the source tarball
 # The parent directory must be called dynare-4.x.y
 # WARNING: this rule will make your SVN working copy unusable!
-srctarball: clean
+srctarball: distclean
 	find -name .svn | xargs rm -rf
 	find -type f -name '*~' | xargs rm -f
 	cd ..; tar cvzf $(DYNAREBASE).tgz --exclude=tests $(DYNAREBASE)
+.PHONY: srctarball
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6aff924c4..dfd002b11 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -637,6 +637,10 @@ ac_includes_default="\
 
 ac_subst_vars='LTLIBOBJS
 LIBOBJS
+XSLTPROC
+DBLATEX
+BIBTEX
+PDFLATEX
 BISON
 EGREP
 GREP
@@ -3570,7 +3574,238 @@ cat >>confdefs.h <<\_ACEOF
 _ACEOF
 
 
-ac_config_files="$ac_config_files preprocessor/Makefile"
+# Extract the first word of "pdflatex", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy pdflatex; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_PDFLATEX+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$PDFLATEX"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_PDFLATEX="$PDFLATEX" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if { test -f "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" && $as_test_x "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; }; then
+    ac_cv_prog_PDFLATEX="pdflatex"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+PDFLATEX=$ac_cv_prog_PDFLATEX
+if test -n "$PDFLATEX"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $PDFLATEX" >&5
+$as_echo "$PDFLATEX" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+# Extract the first word of "bibtex", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy bibtex; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_BIBTEX+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$BIBTEX"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_BIBTEX="$BIBTEX" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if { test -f "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" && $as_test_x "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; }; then
+    ac_cv_prog_BIBTEX="bibtex"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+BIBTEX=$ac_cv_prog_BIBTEX
+if test -n "$BIBTEX"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $BIBTEX" >&5
+$as_echo "$BIBTEX" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+# Extract the first word of "dblatex", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy dblatex; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_DBLATEX+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$DBLATEX"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_DBLATEX="$DBLATEX" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if { test -f "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" && $as_test_x "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; }; then
+    ac_cv_prog_DBLATEX="dblatex"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+DBLATEX=$ac_cv_prog_DBLATEX
+if test -n "$DBLATEX"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $DBLATEX" >&5
+$as_echo "$DBLATEX" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+# Extract the first word of "xsltproc", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy xsltproc; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_XSLTPROC+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$XSLTPROC"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_XSLTPROC="$XSLTPROC" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if { test -f "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" && $as_test_x "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; }; then
+    ac_cv_prog_XSLTPROC="xsltproc"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+XSLTPROC=$ac_cv_prog_XSLTPROC
+if test -n "$XSLTPROC"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $XSLTPROC" >&5
+$as_echo "$XSLTPROC" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+
+if test -n "${XSLTPROC}" -a -f /etc/xml/catalog
+then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for grep that handles long lines and -e" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for grep that handles long lines and -e... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_path_GREP+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -z "$GREP"; then
+  ac_path_GREP_found=false
+  # Loop through the user's path and test for each of PROGNAME-LIST
+  as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH$PATH_SEPARATOR/usr/xpg4/bin
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_prog in grep ggrep; do
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+      ac_path_GREP="$as_dir/$ac_prog$ac_exec_ext"
+      { test -f "$ac_path_GREP" && $as_test_x "$ac_path_GREP"; } || continue
+# Check for GNU ac_path_GREP and select it if it is found.
+  # Check for GNU $ac_path_GREP
+case `"$ac_path_GREP" --version 2>&1` in
+*GNU*)
+  ac_cv_path_GREP="$ac_path_GREP" ac_path_GREP_found=:;;
+*)
+  ac_count=0
+  $as_echo_n 0123456789 >"conftest.in"
+  while :
+  do
+    cat "conftest.in" "conftest.in" >"conftest.tmp"
+    mv "conftest.tmp" "conftest.in"
+    cp "conftest.in" "conftest.nl"
+    $as_echo 'GREP' >> "conftest.nl"
+    "$ac_path_GREP" -e 'GREP$' -e '-(cannot match)-' < "conftest.nl" >"conftest.out" 2>/dev/null || break
+    diff "conftest.out" "conftest.nl" >/dev/null 2>&1 || break
+    ac_count=`expr $ac_count + 1`
+    if test $ac_count -gt ${ac_path_GREP_max-0}; then
+      # Best one so far, save it but keep looking for a better one
+      ac_cv_path_GREP="$ac_path_GREP"
+      ac_path_GREP_max=$ac_count
+    fi
+    # 10*(2^10) chars as input seems more than enough
+    test $ac_count -gt 10 && break
+  done
+  rm -f conftest.in conftest.tmp conftest.nl conftest.out;;
+esac
+
+      $ac_path_GREP_found && break 3
+    done
+  done
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  if test -z "$ac_cv_path_GREP"; then
+    { { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: no acceptable grep could be found in $PATH$PATH_SEPARATOR/usr/xpg4/bin" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: error: no acceptable grep could be found in $PATH$PATH_SEPARATOR/usr/xpg4/bin" >&2;}
+   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
+  fi
+else
+  ac_cv_path_GREP=$GREP
+fi
+
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_path_GREP" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_path_GREP" >&6; }
+ GREP="$ac_cv_path_GREP"
+
+
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for DocBook XSL files in XML catalog" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for DocBook XSL files in XML catalog... " >&6; }
+  cat /etc/xml/catalog | ${GREP} -q http://docbook.sourceforge.net/release/xsl/
+  if test $? -eq 0
+  then
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+  else
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: The creation of the HTML version will be very slow! You should install the docbook-xsl package." >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: The creation of the HTML version will be very slow! You should install the docbook-xsl package." >&2;}
+  fi
+fi
+
+ac_config_files="$ac_config_files preprocessor/Makefile doc/Makefile doc/preprocessor/Makefile doc/macroprocessor/Makefile doc/userguide/Makefile"
 
 
 cat >confcache <<\_ACEOF
@@ -4182,6 +4417,10 @@ for ac_config_target in $ac_config_targets
 do
   case $ac_config_target in
     "preprocessor/Makefile") CONFIG_FILES="$CONFIG_FILES preprocessor/Makefile" ;;
+    "doc/Makefile") CONFIG_FILES="$CONFIG_FILES doc/Makefile" ;;
+    "doc/preprocessor/Makefile") CONFIG_FILES="$CONFIG_FILES doc/preprocessor/Makefile" ;;
+    "doc/macroprocessor/Makefile") CONFIG_FILES="$CONFIG_FILES doc/macroprocessor/Makefile" ;;
+    "doc/userguide/Makefile") CONFIG_FILES="$CONFIG_FILES doc/userguide/Makefile" ;;
 
   *) { { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: invalid argument: $ac_config_target" >&5
 $as_echo "$as_me: error: invalid argument: $ac_config_target" >&2;}
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 918a758f5..ce104c01f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -41,6 +41,25 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([boost/graph/adjacency_list.hpp], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Can't find
 # Don't use deprecated hash structures
 AC_DEFINE([BOOST_NO_HASH])
 
-AC_CONFIG_FILES([preprocessor/Makefile])
+AC_CHECK_PROG([PDFLATEX], [pdflatex], [pdflatex])
+AC_CHECK_PROG([BIBTEX], [bibtex], [bibtex])
+AC_CHECK_PROG([DBLATEX], [dblatex], [dblatex])
+AC_CHECK_PROG([XSLTPROC], [xsltproc], [xsltproc])
+
+if test -n "${XSLTPROC}" -a -f /etc/xml/catalog
+then
+  AC_PROG_GREP
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([for DocBook XSL files in XML catalog])
+  cat /etc/xml/catalog | ${GREP} -q http://docbook.sourceforge.net/release/xsl/
+  if test $? -eq 0
+  then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+  else
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+      AC_MSG_WARN([The creation of the HTML version will be very slow! You should install the docbook-xsl package.])
+  fi
+fi
+
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([preprocessor/Makefile doc/Makefile doc/preprocessor/Makefile doc/macroprocessor/Makefile doc/userguide/Makefile])
 
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/doc/Makefile b/doc/Makefile.in
similarity index 53%
rename from doc/Makefile
rename to doc/Makefile.in
index 1bdc2a635..caa0a923f 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile
+++ b/doc/Makefile.in
@@ -1,22 +1,34 @@
+PDFLATEX = @PDFLATEX@
+XSLTPROC = @XSLTPROC@
+DBLATEX = @DBLATEX@
+
 all: guide.pdf manual-html/index.html manual.pdf bvar-a-la-sims.pdf
 	make -C preprocessor
 	make -C macroprocessor
 	make -C userguide
+.PHONY: all
 
 guide.pdf: guide.tex guide.bbl bibmad.sty
-	pdflatex guide
-	pdflatex guide
+ifdef PDFLATEX
+	$(PDFLATEX) guide
+	$(PDFLATEX) guide
+endif
 
 bvar-a-la-sims.pdf: bvar-a-la-sims.tex
-	pdflatex bvar-a-la-sims
-	pdflatex bvar-a-la-sims
+ifdef PDFLATEX
+	$(PDFLATEX) bvar-a-la-sims
+	$(PDFLATEX) bvar-a-la-sims
+endif
 
 manual-html/index.html: manual.xml dynare_html.xsl
-	# Make sure that you have installed the docbook-xsl package, otherwise xsltproc will take a very long time
-	xsltproc -stringparam base.dir ./manual-html/ dynare_html.xsl manual.xml 
+ifdef XSLTPROC
+	$(XSLTPROC) -stringparam base.dir ./manual-html/ dynare_html.xsl manual.xml
+endif
 
 manual.pdf: manual.xml
-	dblatex manual.xml
+ifdef DBLATEX
+	$(DBLATEX) manual.xml
+endif
 
 clean:
 	rm -f *~ *.pdf *.log *.aux
@@ -24,3 +36,4 @@ clean:
 	make -C preprocessor clean
 	make -C macroprocessor clean
 	make -C userguide clean
+.PHONY: clean
diff --git a/doc/macroprocessor/Makefile b/doc/macroprocessor/Makefile.in
similarity index 56%
rename from doc/macroprocessor/Makefile
rename to doc/macroprocessor/Makefile.in
index 526917744..06e328599 100644
--- a/doc/macroprocessor/Makefile
+++ b/doc/macroprocessor/Makefile.in
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
+PDFLATEX = @PDFLATEX@
+
 macroprocessor.pdf: macroprocessor.tex old-design.pdf new-design.pdf
-	pdflatex macroprocessor
-	pdflatex macroprocessor
+ifdef PDFLATEX
+	$(PDFLATEX) macroprocessor
+	$(PDFLATEX) macroprocessor
+endif
 
 clean:
 	rm -f macroprocessor.pdf *.toc *.aux *.log *.nav *.snm *.vrb *.out *~
+.PHONY: clean
diff --git a/doc/preprocessor/Makefile b/doc/preprocessor/Makefile.in
similarity index 58%
rename from doc/preprocessor/Makefile
rename to doc/preprocessor/Makefile.in
index 21ab83486..59d72ae75 100644
--- a/doc/preprocessor/Makefile
+++ b/doc/preprocessor/Makefile.in
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
+PDFLATEX = @PDFLATEX@
+
 preprocessor.pdf: preprocessor.tex expr.png expr-sharing.png matrices.png overview.png
-	pdflatex preprocessor
-	pdflatex preprocessor
+ifdef PDFLATEX
+	$(PDFLATEX) preprocessor
+	$(PDFLATEX) preprocessor
+endif
 
 clean:
 	rm -f *.pdf *.toc *.aux *.log *.nav *.snm *.vrb *.out *~
+.PHONY: clean
diff --git a/doc/userguide/Makefile b/doc/userguide/Makefile.in
similarity index 58%
rename from doc/userguide/Makefile
rename to doc/userguide/Makefile.in
index c4347b878..f42e9034c 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/Makefile
+++ b/doc/userguide/Makefile.in
@@ -1,15 +1,24 @@
+PDFLATEX = @PDFLATEX@
+BIBTEX = @BIBTEX@
+
 all: UserGuide.pdf
+.PHONY: all
 
 SRC = UserGuide.tex Graphics/DynareTitle.pdf DynareBib.bib \
 	ch-intro.tex ch-inst.tex ch-solbase.tex ch-soladv.tex ch-estbase.tex \
 	ch-estadv.tex ch-solbeh.tex ch-estbeh.tex ch-ramsey.tex ch-trouble.tex
 
-UserGuide.pdf: 
-	pdflatex UserGuide
-	bibtex UserGuide
-	pdflatex UserGuide
-	pdflatex UserGuide
+UserGuide.pdf:
+ifdef PDFLATEX
+ifdef BIBTEX
+	$(PDFLATEX) UserGuide
+	$(BIBTEX) UserGuide
+	$(PDFLATEX) UserGuide
+	$(PDFLATEX) UserGuide
+endif
+endif
 
 clean:
 	rm -f *.log *.aux *.toc *.lof *.blg *.bbl *.out
 	rm -f UserGuide.pdf
+.PHONY: clean