diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 9d3f74c2ba1146ae839c8f36a672679d80613956..79d5162ab8238612cfd948cae5546d0c45d144ed 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # we need the module file to be able to build via dunecontrol
 EXTRA_DIST=dune.module
 
-SUBDIRS = doc m4 dune test
+SUBDIRS = doc m4 dune src test
 
 # possible options
 LDADD = $(IPOPT_LDFLAGS) $(IPOPT_LIBS)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index aa322e4b15675540f785b507fe5cf1affcedcfec..4254df6a60de3044ae6622d8e7ff8089d8d7c8f3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
                  dune/Makefile
                  dune/gfe/Makefile
                  dune/gfe/coupling/Makefile
+                 src/Makefile
                  test/Makefile
                  m4/Makefile
                  dune-gfe.pc
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..248bbfd70f83e1ae7e51c349fd1d5c54ba5e3503
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+
+SUBDIRS =
+
+noinst_PROGRAMS = 
+
+# we need automake 1.5
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign 1.5
+
+# pass most important options when "make distcheck" is used
+DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = --with-dune-common=$(DUNE_COMMON_ROOT) --with-dune-geometry=$(DUNE_GEOMETRY_ROOT) --with-dune-grid=$(DUNE_GRID_ROOT) --with-dune-istl=$(DUNE_ISTL_ROOT) --with-dune-localfunctions=$(DUNE_LOCALFUNCTIONS_ROOT)  CXX="$(CXX)" CC="$(CC)"
+
+include $(top_srcdir)/am/global-rules
+