diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 258cbdd047..3a1342a9b9 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ endif
 .PHONY: install-langs ScrollView.jar install-jars training
 
 SUBDIRS = arch ccutil viewer cutil opencl ccstruct dict classify wordrec textord lstm
-SUBDIRS += ccmain api . tessdata doc
+SUBDIRS += ccmain api . tessdata doc unittest
 
 EXTRA_DIST = README.md\
 	aclocal.m4 config configure.ac autogen.sh contrib \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ab4e30ae5d..ff9fca492a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ AC_SUBST([GENERIC_VERSION])
 # ----------------------------------------
 
 # Do not require README file (we use README.md)
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign subdir-objects])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config_auto.h:config/config.h.in])
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
 
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([tessdata/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([tessdata/configs/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([tessdata/tessconfigs/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([testing/Makefile])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([unittest/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([java/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([java/com/Makefile])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([java/com/google/Makefile])