diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 18bfe2a05..3b68264ee 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/harfbuzz.pc.in])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.11.1 gnits tar-ustar dist-bzip2 no-dist-gzip -Wall no-define color-tests -Wno-portability])
-AM_CONDITIONAL(AUTOMAKE_OLDER_THAN_1_13, test $am__api_version = 1.11 -o $am__api_version = 1.12)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.13.0 gnits tar-ustar dist-bzip2 no-dist-gzip -Wall no-define color-tests -Wno-portability])
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
 # Initialize libtool
diff --git a/test/shaping/Makefile.am b/test/shaping/Makefile.am
index c63374ed3..116a7e44e 100644
--- a/test/shaping/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/shaping/Makefile.am
@@ -79,22 +79,8 @@ TESTS = \
 	data/in-house/tests/zero-width-marks.tests \
 	$(NULL)
 
-TEST_EXTENSIONS = \
-	.tests \
-	$(NULL)
+TEST_EXTENSIONS = .tests
 
-AM_TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
-	EXEEXT="$(EXEEXT)"; \
-	export EXEEXT; \
-	$(NULL)
-
-if AUTOMAKE_OLDER_THAN_1_13
-TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
-	$(AM_TESTS_ENVIRONMENT) \
-	$(TESTS_LOG_COMPILER) \
-	$(NULL)
-endif
-
-TESTS_LOG_COMPILER = $(srcdir)/run-tests.py
+TESTS_LOG_COMPILER = $(srcdir)/run-tests.py $(top_builddir)/util/hb-shape$(EXEEXT)
 
 -include $(top_srcdir)/git.mk
diff --git a/test/shaping/run-tests.py b/test/shaping/run-tests.py
index 76c1bd382..33009269d 100755
--- a/test/shaping/run-tests.py
+++ b/test/shaping/run-tests.py
@@ -18,25 +18,13 @@ def cmd(command):
 	return p.stdout.read ().decode ("utf-8"), p.returncode
 
 
-builddir = os.environ.get ("builddir", ".")
-top_builddir = os.environ.get ("top_builddir",
-	os.path.normpath (os.path.join (builddir, "..", "..")))
-utildir = os.environ.get ("utildir", "util")
-EXEEXT = os.environ.get ("EXEEXT", "")
+args = sys.argv[1:]
+if not args or sys.argv[1].find('hb-shape') == -1 or not os.path.exists (sys.argv[1]):
+	print ("""First argument does not seem to point to usable hb-shape.""")
+	sys.exit (1)
+hb_shape, args = args[0], args[1:]
 
 extra_options = "--verify"
-hb_shape = os.path.join (top_builddir, utildir, "hb-shape" + EXEEXT)
-
-args = sys.argv[1:]
-
-if not os.path.exists (hb_shape):
-	if len (sys.argv) == 1 or sys.argv[1].find('hb-shape') == -1 or not os.path.exists (sys.argv[1]):
-		print ("""Failed to find hb-shape binary automatically,
-please provide it as the first argument to the tool""")
-		sys.exit (1)
-
-	hb_shape = args[0]
-	args = args[1:]
 
 fails = 0