diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 085d8b3510bbc9c9cb867ee14146862ddf860c68..f7c646fc60b8cd05b28c89107f341bfecf265aed 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -17,20 +17,14 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile ALBERTA_UTIL/Makefile
 		 DEMO/src/Makefile
 		 DEMO/src/1d/Makefile DEMO/src/2d/Makefile DEMO/src/3d/Makefile
 		 ALBERTA/Makefile ALBERTA/src/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA11_0/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA11_1/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA12_0/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA12_1/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA22_0/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA22_1/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA23_0/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA23_1/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA33_0/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA33_1/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA11_01/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA11_11/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA12_01/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA12_11/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA22_01/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA22_11/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA23_01/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA23_11/Makefile
-		 ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA33_01/Makefile ALBERTA/src/ALBERTA33_11/Makefile
 		 ALBERTA/src/Common/Makefile ALBERTA/src/Common/Makefile.alberta])
 
+dnl
+dnl all CONFIG_FILES for the ALBERTA libraries are added through the
+dnl ALBERT_DIMENSION_ENABLE/DISABLE() macros
+dnl
 
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.6])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.7])
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h])
 
 # change the installation directory. This could surely be done more elegantly...
@@ -232,19 +226,44 @@ dnl
 dnl end of alberta_movi
 dnl
 
-EL_INDEX=0
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(el_index,
-AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-el_index],
-               [also build a version of ALBERTA libraries using EL_INDEX=1 (default is off)]),
-[EL_INDEX=1])
-AC_SUBST(EL_INDEX)
-
+#
+# PLOT_ANSI stuff
+#
 AM_CONDITIONAL(PLOT_FOR_SUN, test x$plot_for_sun = xtrue)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(PLOT_FOR_IBM, test x$plot_for_ibm = xtrue)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(PLOT_FOR_TIT, test x$plot_for_tit = xtrue)
-AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_GLTOOLS, test -n "${GLTOOLS_LIB}")
-AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_EL_INDEX, test x$EL_INDEX = x1)
 
-dnl AC_SUBST(make_own_blas_lib)
+#
+# EL_INDEX
+#
+SIMPLE_ENABLE_FLAG([el-index], [additionally build ALBERTA libraries using EL_INDEX=1.], 0)
+#
+# NEIGH_IN_EL, probably buggy
+#
+dnl SIMPLE_ENABLE_FLAG([neigh-in-el],
+dnl [additionally build ALBERTA libraries using NEIGH_IN_EL=1.
+dnl NOTA BENE: using NEIGH_IN_EL=1 is probably buggy.], 0)
+#
+# Debugging
+#
+SIMPLE_ENABLE_FLAG([debug], [disable building of ALBERTA libraries with debugging information.], 1)
+
+# building of parametric versions is disabled by default, but can be
+# enabled using --enable-DIMDIMOFWORLD-dimension switches (the macros
+# below do _not_ enable the builds, but simply implement
+# AC_ARG_ENABLE() stuff
+#
+# BIG FAT NOTE: the DIMENSION_EN/DISABLE macro MUST COME LAST, right
+# before the AC_OUTPUT
+#
+ALBERTA_DIMENSION_DISABLE(1)
+ALBERTA_DIMENSION_DISABLE(2)
+ALBERTA_DIMENSION_DISABLE(3)
+ALBERTA_DIMENSION_ENABLE(1,2)
+ALBERTA_DIMENSION_ENABLE(1,3)
+ALBERTA_DIMENSION_ENABLE(2,3)
 
+#
+# flush everything to disk
+#
 AC_OUTPUT