--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 	clean-dist-tar dist links-for-bin-dist bin-dist-tar \
 	clean-bin-dist-tar binary-dist doc-dist-tar clean-doc-dist-tar \
 	doc-dist local-dist-tar clean-local-dist-tar local-dist \
-	split-dist split-local-dist config-dist \
+	split-dist split-local-dist conf-dist \
 	snapshot-z snapshot snapshot-version
 
 NO_DEP_TARGETS = clean mostlyclean distclean maintainer-clean

--- a/octMakefile.in
+++ b/octMakefile.in
@@ -18,13 +18,15 @@
 INSTALL_PROGRAM = @INSTALL_PROGRAM@
 INSTALL_DATA = @INSTALL_DATA@
 
-DISTFILES = BUGS COPYING INSTALL INSTALL.OCTAVE Makefile.in \
-	octMakefile.in Makeconf.in NEWS PROJECTS README README.NLP \
-	ROADMAP SENDING-PATCHES THANKS configure configure.in \
-	config.guess config.sub move-if-change octave.sh \
-	octave-bug.in aclocal.m4 install-sh doinstall.sh \
-	mkinstalldirs config.h.in acconfig.h config.h.bot \
-	MAKEINFO.PATCH ChangeLog ChangeLog.[0-9] 
+CONF_DISTFILES = Makefile.in octMakefile.in Makeconf.in configure \
+	configure.in config.guess config.sub aclocal.m4 config.h.in \
+	acconfig.h config.h.bot
+
+DISTFILES = $(CONF_DISTFILES) \
+	BUGS COPYING INSTALL INSTALL.OCTAVE NEWS PROJECTS README \
+	README.NLP ROADMAP SENDING-PATCHES THANKS move-if-change \
+	octave.sh octave-bug.in install-sh doinstall.sh \
+	mkinstalldirs MAKEINFO.PATCH ChangeLog ChangeLog.[0-9] 
 
 # Complete directory trees to distribute.
 DISTDIRS = emacs glob kpathsea make plplot
@@ -33,6 +35,9 @@
 SUBDIRS = @INFO_DIR@ @PLPLOT_DIR@ @READLINE_DIR@ glob kpathsea \
 	libcruft liboctave src scripts doc
 
+# Subdirectories in which ot run `make conf-dist'.
+CONF_DISTSUBDIRS = src
+
 # Subdirectories in which to run `make dist'.
 DISTSUBDIRS = libcruft liboctave info readline src scripts dld test doc 
 
@@ -240,6 +245,21 @@
 	rm -f .fname
 .PHONY: split-local-dist
 
+# Rules for making a dist of just the stuff needed to run configure.
+
+conf-dist:
+	echo config-dist-$(version) > .fname
+	rm -rf `cat .fname`
+	mkdir `cat .fname`
+	ln $(CONF_DISTFILES) `cat .fname`
+	for dir in $(CONF_DISTSUBDIRS); do mkdir `cat .fname`/$$dir; cd $$dir; $(MAKE) dist; cd ..; done
+.PHONY: conf-dist
+
+dist-tar: links-for-dist
+	tar chf `cat .fname`.tar `cat .fname`
+	rm -rf `cat .fname`
+.PHONY: dist-tar
+
 # Rules for making a snapshot.
 
 snapshot-z: snapshot-version

--- a/src/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.in
@@ -289,6 +289,10 @@
 	rm -f oct-gperf.h defaults.h *.d *.def builtins.cc
 .PHONY: dist
 
+conf-dist:
+	ln octave.cc Makefile.in ../`cat ../.fname`/src
+.PHONY: conf-dist
+
 # Special rules -- these files need special things to be defined.
 
 defaults.h: defaults.h.in ../Makeconf Makefile