diff --git a/m4/alberta-dims.m4 b/m4/alberta-dims.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..053d6922b41c7ff60039abbf4c8edd8b81374f88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/alberta-dims.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#
+# enable building of $1$2 library (DIM/DIM_OF_WORLD)
+#
+AC_DEFUN([ALBERTA_DIMENSION_ENABLE],
+[SIMPLE_ENABLE_FLAG([alberta-$1$2],
+[enable building of an ALBERTA library for parametric Finite Elements
+of dimension $1 where the surrounding space has dimension $2.], 0)
+if test "$ALBERTA_$1$2" -eq 1; then
+	AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$2_0/Makefile])
+	if test "$DEBUG" -eq 1; then
+		AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$2_1/Makefile])
+	fi
+	if test "$EL_INDEX" -eq 1; then	
+		AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$2_01/Makefile])
+	fi
+	if test "$DEBUG" -eq 1 -a "$EL_INDEX" -eq 1; then
+		AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$2_11/Makefile])
+	fi
+fi
+])
+AC_DEFUN([ALBERTA_DIMENSION_DISABLE],
+[SIMPLE_ENABLE_FLAG([alberta-$1$1],
+[disable building of an ALBERTA library for Finite Elements of dimension $1.], 1)
+if test "$ALBERTA_$1$1" -eq 1; then
+	AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$1_0/Makefile])
+	if test "$DEBUG" -eq 1; then
+		AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$1_1/Makefile])
+	fi
+	if test "$EL_INDEX" -eq 1; then	
+		AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$1_01/Makefile])
+	fi
+	if test "$DEBUG" -eq 1 -a "$EL_INDEX" -eq 1; then
+		AC_CONFIG_FILES([ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA$1$1_11/Makefile])
+	fi
+fi
+])
diff --git a/m4/simple-enable-flag.m4 b/m4/simple-enable-flag.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5b5fcb204ebce0791079efb2fa1a699cbab27332
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/simple-enable-flag.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#
+# $1: name of the enable-switch (e.g. el-index)
+# $2: help string
+# $3: one of {0,1}, default value
+#
+# Results: declare proper AC_ARG_ENABLE(), define make-file
+# subsitution (e.g. EL_INDEX), define automake conditional
+# (e.g. EL_INDEX).
+#
+AC_DEFUN([SIMPLE_ENABLE_FLAG],
+[m4_define([FLAGNAME], [m4_bpatsubst(m4_toupper([$1]),-,_)])
+m4_if([$3],[1],
+[m4_define([NEGDEFAULT],[disable])
+m4_define([DEFAULT],[enabled])],
+[m4_define([NEGDEFAULT],[enable])
+m4_define([DEFAULT],[disabled])])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE($1,
+	AC_HELP_STRING(--[]NEGDEFAULT[]-$1,
+			[$2 (default: DEFAULT)]),
+	[case "$enableval" in
+		yes)
+			FLAGNAME=1
+			;;
+		no)
+			FLAGNAME=0
+			;;
+		*)
+			AC_MSG_ERROR(["--[]NEGDEFAULT[]-$1" does not take an argument.])
+			;;
+	esac],
+	[FLAGNAME=$3])
+AC_SUBST(FLAGNAME)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(FLAGNAME, [test "$[]FLAGNAME" -eq 1])
+])