diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 5345f7446..c60d37090 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ## Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in.
 
-SUBDIRS = libguile ice-9 qt
+SUBDIRS = ice-9 qt libguile
 
 ## FIXME: in the future there will be direct automake support for
 ## doing this.  When that happens, switch over.
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 6871ffa12..f4dc559c7 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ qtmds_s = @qtmds_s@
 target_libs = @target_libs@
 xtra_PLUGIN_guile_libs = @xtra_PLUGIN_guile_libs@
 
-SUBDIRS = libguile ice-9 qt
+SUBDIRS = ice-9 qt libguile
 
 aclocaldir = $(datadir)/aclocal
 aclocal_DATA = guile.m4 threads.m4
diff --git a/aclocal.m4 b/aclocal.m4
index b974194d4..a8395ab1a 100644
--- a/aclocal.m4
+++ b/aclocal.m4
@@ -250,14 +250,14 @@ dnl
      if test -f $srcdir/../qt/qt.c || test -f $srcdir/qt/qt.c; then
 	threads_package=COOP
 	cy_cv_threads_cflags="-I$srcdir/../qt -I../qt"
-	cy_cv_threads_libs="../threads/libthreads.a ../qt/libqt.a"
+	cy_cv_threads_libs="../qt/libqt.a"
      fi
   else
      if test -f $use_threads/qt.c; then
 	# FIXME seems as though we should try to use an installed qt here.
 	threads_package=COOP
 	cy_cv_threads_cflags="-I$use_threads -I../qt"
-	cy_cv_threads_libs="../threads/libthreads.a ../qt/libqt.a"
+	cy_cv_threads_libs="../qt/libqt.a"
      fi
   fi
   if test "$use_threads" = pthreads; then
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8c2710813..cb19de711 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3173,14 +3173,14 @@ if test "$use_threads" != no; then
      if test -f $srcdir/../qt/qt.c || test -f $srcdir/qt/qt.c; then
 	threads_package=COOP
 	cy_cv_threads_cflags="-I$srcdir/../qt -I../qt"
-	cy_cv_threads_libs="../threads/libthreads.a ../qt/libqt.a"
+	cy_cv_threads_libs="../qt/libqt.a"
      fi
   else
      if test -f $use_threads/qt.c; then
 	# FIXME seems as though we should try to use an installed qt here.
 	threads_package=COOP
 	cy_cv_threads_cflags="-I$use_threads -I../qt"
-	cy_cv_threads_libs="../threads/libthreads.a ../qt/libqt.a"
+	cy_cv_threads_libs="../qt/libqt.a"
      fi
   fi
   if test "$use_threads" = pthreads; then