diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index e0aba19..55b0d85 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -106,7 +106,11 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(CROSS_COMPILING, test $cross_compiling = yes)
 
 dnl ==========================================================================
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(arch,      [  --with-arch=ARCH      Force architecture to ARCH], arch="$withval", arch=auto)
+AC_ARG_WITH(arch,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-arch=ARCH],
+			[Force architecture to ARCH])],
+	,
+	arch="$withval", arch=auto)
 
 if test "x$arch" != xauto; then
 	AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([FC_ARCHITECTURE], "$arch", [Architecture prefix to use for cache file names])
@@ -167,7 +171,11 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(USE_ICONV,$use_iconv,[Use iconv.])
 # Checks for FreeType
 #
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(freetype-config, [  --with-freetype-config=PROG   Use FreeType configuration program PROG], freetype_config=$withval, freetype_config=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(freetype-config,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-freetype-config=PROG],
+			[Use FreeType configuration program PROG])],
+	freetype_config=$withval,
+	freetype_config=yes)
 
 if test "$freetype_config" = "yes"; then 
 	AC_PATH_PROG(ft_config,freetype-config,no)
@@ -203,9 +211,18 @@ LIBS="$fontconfig_save_libs"
 # Check expat configuration
 #
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(expat,             [  --with-expat=DIR              Use Expat in DIR], expat=$withval, expat=yes)
-AC_ARG_WITH(expat-includes,    [  --with-expat-includes=DIR     Use Expat includes in DIR], expat_includes=$withval, expat_includes=yes)
-AC_ARG_WITH(expat-lib,         [  --with-expat-lib=DIR          Use Expat library in DIR], expat_lib=$withval, expat_lib=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(expat,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-expat=DIR],
+			[Use Expat in DIR])],
+	expat=$withval, expat=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(expat-includes,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-expat-includes=DIR],
+			[Use Expat includes in DIR])],
+	expat_includes=$withval, expat_includes=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(expat-lib,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-expat-lib=DIR],
+			[Use Expat library in DIR])],
+	expat_lib=$withval, expat_lib=yes)
 
 if test "$enable_libxml2" != "yes"; then
 	case "$expat" in
@@ -314,7 +331,9 @@ fi
 # Check libxml2 configuration
 #
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(libxml2,         [  --enable-libxml2              Use libxml2 instead of Expat])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(libxml2,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-libxml2],
+			[Use libxml2 instead of Expat])])
 
 PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG
 
@@ -330,7 +349,10 @@ fi
 # Set default font directory
 #
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(default-fonts,     [  --with-default-fonts=DIR      Use fonts from DIR when config is busted], default_fonts="$withval", default_fonts=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(default-fonts,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-default-fonts=DIR],
+			[Use fonts from DIR when config is busted])],
+	default_fonts="$withval", default_fonts=yes)
 
 case "$default_fonts" in
 yes)
@@ -358,7 +380,10 @@ AC_SUBST(FC_DEFAULT_FONTS)
 # with outline fonts; those with bitmaps can be added as desired in
 # local.conf or ~/.fonts.conf
 #
-AC_ARG_WITH(add-fonts,        [  --with-add-fonts=DIR1,DIR2,...Find additional fonts in DIR1,DIR2,... ], add_fonts="$withval", add_fonts=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(add-fonts,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-add-fonts=DIR1,DIR2,...],
+			[Find additional fonts in DIR1,DIR2,... ])],
+	add_fonts="$withval", add_fonts=yes)
 
 case "$add_fonts" in
 yes)
@@ -409,7 +434,10 @@ AC_SUBST(FC_FONTPATH)
 #
 # Set default cache directory path
 #
-AC_ARG_WITH(cache-dir,         [  --with-cache-dir=DIR           Use DIR to store cache files (default LOCALSTATEDIR/cache/fontconfig)], fc_cachedir="$withval", fc_cachedir=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(cache-dir,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-cache-dir=DIR],
+			[Use DIR to store cache files (default LOCALSTATEDIR/cache/fontconfig)])],
+	fc_cachedir="$withval", fc_cachedir=yes)
 
 case $fc_cachedir in
 no|yes)
@@ -430,7 +458,10 @@ FC_FONTDATE=`LC_ALL=C date`
 
 AC_SUBST(FC_FONTDATE)
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(confdir,           [  --with-confdir=DIR            Use DIR to store configuration files (default SYSCONFDIR/fonts)], confdir="$withval", confdir=yes)
+AC_ARG_WITH(confdir,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--with-confdir=DIR],
+			[Use DIR to store configuration files (default SYSCONFDIR/fonts)])],
+	confdir="$withval", confdir=yes)
 
 #
 # Set CONFDIR and FONTCONFIG_PATH
@@ -468,7 +499,11 @@ if test x$HASDOCBOOK = xno; then
 	fi
 fi
 
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(docs,           [  --disable-docs                Don't build and install documentation],,enable_docs=$default_docs)
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(docs,
+	[AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-docs],
+			[Don't build and install documentation])],
+	,
+	enable_docs=$default_docs)
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_DOCS, test "x$enable_docs" = xyes)