diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 41c0547b..0e86ddde 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.14 dist-bzip2 dist-xz foreign subdir-objects])
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
-AX_APPEND_FLAG([-include config.h])
 
 ###############################################################################
 ## Major compilation options
@@ -176,7 +175,7 @@ AS_CASE([$host_os],
 
 CHECK_RAGEL([ip.cpp])
 
-AX_BOOST_BASE([1.52], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Boost version >= 1.52 required])])
+AX_BOOST_BASE([1.53], [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([Boost version >= 1.53 required])])
 AC_SUBST(BOOST_CPPFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(BOOST_LDFLAGS)
 
@@ -220,6 +219,10 @@ AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([-pipe])
 ###############################################################################
 ## Output
 
+# inclusion of config.h has to go after compilation tests otherwise we risk
+# failure on a clean build
+AX_APPEND_FLAG([-include config.h])
+
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
     Doxyfile
     Makefile
diff --git a/m4/ax_boost_base.m4 b/m4/ax_boost_base.m4
index b803e9e8..54a2a1be 100644
--- a/m4/ax_boost_base.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_boost_base.m4
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ if test "x$want_boost" = "xyes"; then
         AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
     succeeded=yes
     found_system=yes
+        ],[
         ])
     AC_LANG_POP([C++])
 
@@ -229,6 +230,7 @@ if test "x$want_boost" = "xyes"; then
             AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
         succeeded=yes
         found_system=yes
+            ],[
             ])
         AC_LANG_POP([C++])
     fi
diff --git a/m4/ax_boost_filesystem.m4 b/m4/ax_boost_filesystem.m4
index 2a62da8d..0119b5c6 100644
--- a/m4/ax_boost_filesystem.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_boost_filesystem.m4
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 #   and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any
 #   warranty.
 
-#serial 21
+#serial 25
 
 AC_DEFUN([AX_BOOST_FILESYSTEM],
 [
@@ -81,14 +81,14 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_BOOST_FILESYSTEM],
 			AC_DEFINE(HAVE_BOOST_FILESYSTEM,,[define if the Boost::Filesystem library is available])
             BOOSTLIBDIR=`echo $BOOST_LDFLAGS | sed -e 's/@<:@^\/@:>@*//'`
             if test "x$ax_boost_user_filesystem_lib" = "x"; then
-                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_filesystem*.so* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_filesystem*.dylib* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_filesystem*.a* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^lib\(boost_filesystem.*\)\.so.*$;\1;' -e 's;^lib\(boost_filesystem.*\)\.a*$;\1;' -e 's;^lib\(boost_filesystem.*\)\.dylib$;\1;'` ; do
+                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_filesystem*.so* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_filesystem*.dylib* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_filesystem*.a* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^lib\(boost_filesystem.*\)\.\(dylib\|a\|so\).*$;\1;' | tac` ; do
                      ax_lib=${libextension}
 				    AC_CHECK_LIB($ax_lib, exit,
                                  [BOOST_FILESYSTEM_LIB="-l$ax_lib"; AC_SUBST(BOOST_FILESYSTEM_LIB) link_filesystem="yes"; break],
                                  [link_filesystem="no"])
 				done
-                if test "x$link_program_options" != "xyes"; then
-                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/boost_filesystem*.{dll,a}* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^\(boost_filesystem.*\)\.dll.*$;\1;' -e 's;^\(boost_filesystem.*\)\.a*$;\1;'` ; do
+                if test "x$link_filesystem" != "xyes"; then
+                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/boost_filesystem*.dll* $BOOSTLIBDIR/boost_filesystem*.a* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^\(boost_filesystem.*\)\.\(dll\|a\).*$;\1;' | tac` ; do
                      ax_lib=${libextension}
 				    AC_CHECK_LIB($ax_lib, exit,
                                  [BOOST_FILESYSTEM_LIB="-l$ax_lib"; AC_SUBST(BOOST_FILESYSTEM_LIB) link_filesystem="yes"; break],
diff --git a/m4/ax_boost_system.m4 b/m4/ax_boost_system.m4
index 7fbf6d36..20df5eea 100644
--- a/m4/ax_boost_system.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_boost_system.m4
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 #   and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any
 #   warranty.
 
-#serial 14
+#serial 15
 
 AC_DEFUN([AX_BOOST_SYSTEM],
 [
@@ -83,14 +83,14 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_BOOST_SYSTEM],
 
 			LDFLAGS_SAVE=$LDFLAGS
             if test "x$ax_boost_user_system_lib" = "x"; then
-                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_system*.so* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_system*.a* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^lib\(boost_system.*\)\.so.*$;\1;' -e 's;^lib\(boost_system.*\)\.a*$;\1;'` ; do
+                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_system*.a* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_system*.so* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^lib\(boost_system.*\)\.\(so\|a\).*$;\1;' | tac` ; do
                      ax_lib=${libextension}
 				    AC_CHECK_LIB($ax_lib, exit,
                                  [BOOST_SYSTEM_LIB="-l$ax_lib"; AC_SUBST(BOOST_SYSTEM_LIB) link_system="yes"; break],
                                  [link_system="no"])
 				done
                 if test "x$link_system" != "xyes"; then
-                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/boost_system*.{dll,a}* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^\(boost_system.*\)\.dll.*$;\1;' -e 's;^\(boost_system.*\)\.a*$;\1;'` ; do
+                for libextension in `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/boost_system*.{dll,a}* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^\(boost_system.*\)\.\(dll\|a\).*$;\1;' | tac` ; do
                      ax_lib=${libextension}
 				    AC_CHECK_LIB($ax_lib, exit,
                                  [BOOST_SYSTEM_LIB="-l$ax_lib"; AC_SUBST(BOOST_SYSTEM_LIB) link_system="yes"; break],