diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index e3232f1173..4ad6e7ab3d 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -101,15 +101,27 @@ stages:
   <<: *debian_sid_amd64_image
   stage: precheck
 
+autoconf: &autoconf_job
+  <<: *default_triggering_rules
+  <<: *debian_sid_amd64_image
+  stage: precheck
+  script:
+    - autoreconf -fi
+  artifacts:
+    untracked: true
+    expire_in: "1 hour"
+
 .build: &build_job
   <<: *default_triggering_rules
   stage: build
   before_script:
     - test -w "${CCACHE_DIR}" && export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache:${PATH}"
   script:
-    - ./configure --enable-developer --with-libtool --disable-static --with-cmocka --prefix=$HOME/.local --without-make-clean $EXTRA_CONFIGURE || cat config.log
+    - ./configure --disable-maintainer-mode --enable-developer --with-libtool --disable-static --with-cmocka --prefix=$HOME/.local --without-make-clean $EXTRA_CONFIGURE || cat config.log
     - make -j${BUILD_PARALLEL_JOBS:-1} -k all V=1
     - test -z "${RUN_MAKE_INSTALL}" || make install
+  dependencies:
+    - autoreconf:sid:amd64
   artifacts:
     untracked: true
     expire_in: "1 hour"
@@ -151,6 +163,9 @@ stages:
 
 # Jobs in the precheck stage
 
+autoreconf:sid:amd64:
+  <<: *autoconf_job
+
 misc:sid:amd64:
   <<: *precheck_job
   script:
@@ -188,6 +203,8 @@ docs:sid:amd64:
     - ./configure || cat config.log
     - make -C doc/misc docbook
     - make -C doc/arm Bv9ARM.html
+  dependencies:
+    - autoreconf:sid:amd64
   artifacts:
     paths:
       - doc/arm/
diff --git a/aclocal.m4 b/aclocal.m4
index bae4eb7b8f..0abbe84363 100644
--- a/aclocal.m4
+++ b/aclocal.m4
@@ -288,6 +288,92 @@ AS_VAR_COPY([$1], [pkg_cv_][$1])
 AS_VAR_IF([$1], [""], [$5], [$4])dnl
 ])dnl PKG_CHECK_VAR
 
+# AM_CONDITIONAL                                            -*- Autoconf -*-
+
+# Copyright (C) 1997-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+#
+# This file is free software; the Free Software Foundation
+# gives unlimited permission to copy and/or distribute it,
+# with or without modifications, as long as this notice is preserved.
+
+# AM_CONDITIONAL(NAME, SHELL-CONDITION)
+# -------------------------------------
+# Define a conditional.
+AC_DEFUN([AM_CONDITIONAL],
+[AC_PREREQ([2.52])dnl
+ m4_if([$1], [TRUE],  [AC_FATAL([$0: invalid condition: $1])],
+       [$1], [FALSE], [AC_FATAL([$0: invalid condition: $1])])dnl
+AC_SUBST([$1_TRUE])dnl
+AC_SUBST([$1_FALSE])dnl
+_AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE([$1_TRUE])dnl
+_AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE([$1_FALSE])dnl
+m4_define([_AM_COND_VALUE_$1], [$2])dnl
+if $2; then
+  $1_TRUE=
+  $1_FALSE='#'
+else
+  $1_TRUE='#'
+  $1_FALSE=
+fi
+AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS_PRE(
+[if test -z "${$1_TRUE}" && test -z "${$1_FALSE}"; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([[conditional "$1" was never defined.
+Usually this means the macro was only invoked conditionally.]])
+fi])])
+
+# Add --enable-maintainer-mode option to configure.         -*- Autoconf -*-
+# From Jim Meyering
+
+# Copyright (C) 1996-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+#
+# This file is free software; the Free Software Foundation
+# gives unlimited permission to copy and/or distribute it,
+# with or without modifications, as long as this notice is preserved.
+
+# AM_MAINTAINER_MODE([DEFAULT-MODE])
+# ----------------------------------
+# Control maintainer-specific portions of Makefiles.
+# Default is to disable them, unless 'enable' is passed literally.
+# For symmetry, 'disable' may be passed as well.  Anyway, the user
+# can override the default with the --enable/--disable switch.
+AC_DEFUN([AM_MAINTAINER_MODE],
+[m4_case(m4_default([$1], [disable]),
+       [enable], [m4_define([am_maintainer_other], [disable])],
+       [disable], [m4_define([am_maintainer_other], [enable])],
+       [m4_define([am_maintainer_other], [enable])
+        m4_warn([syntax], [unexpected argument to AM@&t@_MAINTAINER_MODE: $1])])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to enable maintainer-specific portions of Makefiles])
+  dnl maintainer-mode's default is 'disable' unless 'enable' is passed
+  AC_ARG_ENABLE([maintainer-mode],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--]am_maintainer_other[-maintainer-mode],
+      am_maintainer_other[ make rules and dependencies not useful
+      (and sometimes confusing) to the casual installer])],
+    [USE_MAINTAINER_MODE=$enableval],
+    [USE_MAINTAINER_MODE=]m4_if(am_maintainer_other, [enable], [no], [yes]))
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([$USE_MAINTAINER_MODE])
+  AM_CONDITIONAL([MAINTAINER_MODE], [test $USE_MAINTAINER_MODE = yes])
+  MAINT=$MAINTAINER_MODE_TRUE
+  AC_SUBST([MAINT])dnl
+]
+)
+
+# Copyright (C) 2006-2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+#
+# This file is free software; the Free Software Foundation
+# gives unlimited permission to copy and/or distribute it,
+# with or without modifications, as long as this notice is preserved.
+
+# _AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE(VARIABLE)
+# ---------------------------
+# Prevent Automake from outputting VARIABLE = @VARIABLE@ in Makefile.in.
+# This macro is traced by Automake.
+AC_DEFUN([_AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE])
+
+# AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE(VARIABLE)
+# --------------------------
+# Public sister of _AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE.
+AC_DEFUN([AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE], [_AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE($@)])
+
 m4_include([m4/ax_check_compile_flag.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_check_link_flag.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_check_openssl.m4])
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9c2a3db5ed..40059aee49 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -826,6 +826,9 @@ build_os
 build_vendor
 build_cpu
 build
+MAINT
+MAINTAINER_MODE_FALSE
+MAINTAINER_MODE_TRUE
 target_alias
 host_alias
 build_alias
@@ -877,6 +880,7 @@ LIBNS_API
 DLZ_DRIVER_RULES'
 ac_user_opts='
 enable_option_checking
+enable_maintainer_mode
 enable_largefile
 enable_shared
 enable_static
@@ -1581,6 +1585,9 @@ Optional Features:
   --disable-option-checking  ignore unrecognized --enable/--with options
   --disable-FEATURE       do not include FEATURE (same as --enable-FEATURE=no)
   --enable-FEATURE[=ARG]  include FEATURE [ARG=yes]
+  --disable-maintainer-mode
+                          disable make rules and dependencies not useful (and
+                          sometimes confusing) to the casual installer
   --disable-largefile     omit support for large files
   --enable-shared[=PKGS]  build shared libraries [default=yes]
   --enable-static[=PKGS]  build static libraries [default=yes]
@@ -2557,6 +2564,33 @@ ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 
 
 
+#
+# Enable maintainer mode by default, but allow to disable it in the CI
+#
+
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether to enable maintainer-specific portions of Makefiles" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking whether to enable maintainer-specific portions of Makefiles... " >&6; }
+    # Check whether --enable-maintainer-mode was given.
+if test "${enable_maintainer_mode+set}" = set; then :
+  enableval=$enable_maintainer_mode; USE_MAINTAINER_MODE=$enableval
+else
+  USE_MAINTAINER_MODE=yes
+fi
+
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $USE_MAINTAINER_MODE" >&5
+$as_echo "$USE_MAINTAINER_MODE" >&6; }
+   if test $USE_MAINTAINER_MODE = yes; then
+  MAINTAINER_MODE_TRUE=
+  MAINTAINER_MODE_FALSE='#'
+else
+  MAINTAINER_MODE_TRUE='#'
+  MAINTAINER_MODE_FALSE=
+fi
+
+  MAINT=$MAINTAINER_MODE_TRUE
+
+
+
 ac_config_headers="$ac_config_headers config.h"
 
 
@@ -22730,6 +22764,10 @@ LIBOBJS=$ac_libobjs
 LTLIBOBJS=$ac_ltlibobjs
 
 
+if test -z "${MAINTAINER_MODE_TRUE}" && test -z "${MAINTAINER_MODE_FALSE}"; then
+  as_fn_error $? "conditional \"MAINTAINER_MODE\" was never defined.
+Usually this means the macro was only invoked conditionally." "$LINENO" 5
+fi
 
 
 : "${CONFIG_STATUS=./config.status}"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bb62f5d533..eda04d4566 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@
 AC_INIT(BIND, [9.15], [info@isc.org], [], [https://www.isc.org/downloads/BIND/])
 AC_PREREQ([2.60])
 
+#
+# Enable maintainer mode by default, but allow to disable it in the CI
+#
+AM_MAINTAINER_MODE([enable])
+
 AC_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])