diff --git a/snapcraft/plugins/v1/autotools.py b/snapcraft/plugins/v1/autotools.py
index e12f9da8df..cd7f322682 100644
--- a/snapcraft/plugins/v1/autotools.py
+++ b/snapcraft/plugins/v1/autotools.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 """
 
 import os
-import stat
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from snapcraft.plugins.v1 import make
 
@@ -88,32 +88,25 @@ def enable_cross_compilation(self):
         pass
 
     def build(self):
-        if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(self.builddir, "configure")):
-            generated = False
-            scripts = ["autogen.sh", "bootstrap"]
-            for script in scripts:
-                path = os.path.join(self.builddir, script)
-                if not os.path.exists(path) or os.path.isdir(path):
-                    continue
-                # Make sure it's executable
-                if not os.access(path, os.X_OK):
-                    os.chmod(
-                        path,
-                        stat.S_IRUSR
-                        | stat.S_IWUSR
-                        | stat.S_IXUSR
-                        | stat.S_IRGRP
-                        | stat.S_IWGRP
-                        | stat.S_IXGRP
-                        | stat.S_IROTH
-                        | stat.S_IWOTH
-                        | stat.S_IXOTH,
-                    )
-                self.run(["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", "./{}".format(script)])
-                generated = True
-                break
-            if not generated:
+        configure_script = Path(self.builddir) / "configure"
+        if not configure_script.exists():
+            potential_scripts = [
+                Path(self.builddir) / s for s in ["autogen.sh", "bootstrap"]
+            ]
+            existing_scripts = [
+                s for s in potential_scripts if s.exists() and s.is_file()
+            ]
+
+            # If there are not alternative configure scripts, run autoreconf.
+            if not existing_scripts:
                 self.run(["autoreconf", "-i"])
+            else:
+                # Pick the first one.
+                script = existing_scripts[0]
+                # Make sure it's executable.
+                if not os.access(script, os.X_OK):
+                    script.chmod(0o755)
+                self.run(["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", script])
 
         configure_command = ["./configure"]
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/v1/test_autotools.py b/tests/unit/plugins/v1/test_autotools.py
index 2615e13d78..1300454244 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/v1/test_autotools.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/v1/test_autotools.py
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 import os
-import pathlib
 import stat
+from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import mock
 
 import pytest
@@ -258,12 +258,13 @@ def test_build_autogen_with_destdir(self, run_mock):
         self.assertThat(run_mock.call_count, Equals(4))
         run_mock.assert_has_calls(
             [
-                mock.call(["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", "./autogen.sh"]),
+                mock.call(
+                    ["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", Path(plugin.builddir) / "autogen.sh"]
+                ),
                 mock.call(["./configure", "--prefix="]),
                 mock.call(["make", "-j2"], env=None),
                 mock.call(
-                    ["make", "install", "DESTDIR={}".format(plugin.installdir)],
-                    env=None,
+                    ["make", "install", f"DESTDIR={plugin.installdir}"], env=None,
                 ),
             ]
         )
@@ -275,7 +276,9 @@ def test_build_bootstrap_with_destdir(self, run_mock):
         self.assertThat(run_mock.call_count, Equals(4))
         run_mock.assert_has_calls(
             [
-                mock.call(["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", "./bootstrap"]),
+                mock.call(
+                    ["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", Path(plugin.builddir) / "bootstrap"]
+                ),
                 mock.call(["./configure", "--prefix="]),
                 mock.call(["make", "-j2"], env=None),
                 mock.call(
@@ -292,7 +295,9 @@ def test_build_bootstrap_and_autogen_with_destdir(self, run_mock):
         self.assertThat(run_mock.call_count, Equals(4))
         run_mock.assert_has_calls(
             [
-                mock.call(["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", "./autogen.sh"]),
+                mock.call(
+                    ["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", Path(plugin.builddir) / "autogen.sh"]
+                ),
                 mock.call(["./configure", "--prefix="]),
                 mock.call(["make", "-j2"], env=None),
                 mock.call(
@@ -310,7 +315,9 @@ def test_build_autogen_with_prefix(self, run_mock):
         self.assertThat(run_mock.call_count, Equals(4))
         run_mock.assert_has_calls(
             [
-                mock.call(["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", "./autogen.sh"]),
+                mock.call(
+                    ["env", "NOCONFIGURE=1", Path(plugin.builddir) / "autogen.sh"]
+                ),
                 mock.call(["./configure", "--prefix={}".format(plugin.installdir)]),
                 mock.call(["make", "-j2"], env=None),
                 mock.call(["make", "install"], env=None),
@@ -443,7 +450,7 @@ def test_cross_compile(mock_run, monkeypatch, project, options, deb_arch, triple
 
     plugin = autotools.AutotoolsPlugin("test-part", options, project)
     plugin.enable_cross_compilation()
-    configure_file = pathlib.Path(plugin.builddir) / "configure"
+    configure_file = Path(plugin.builddir) / "configure"
     configure_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
     configure_file.touch()