diff --git a/HACKING b/HACKING
index 65af0ebae..3ed8070ef 100644
--- a/HACKING
+++ b/HACKING
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ GNU coding standards.  The standards are available via anonymous FTP
 from prep.ai.mit.edu, as /pub/gnu/standards/standards.texi and
 make-stds.texi.
 
+- Check Makefile.in and configure files into CVS, as well as any files
+used to create them (Makefile.am, configure.in); don't check in
+Makefiles or header files generated by configuration scripts.  The
+general rule is that you should be able to check out a working
+directory of Guile from CVS, and then type "configure" and "make".
+
 - Make sure your changes compile and work, at least on your own
 machine, before checking them into the main branch of the Guile
 repository.  If you really need to check in untested changes, make a