diff --git a/docker/build_scripts/install-automake.sh b/docker/build_scripts/install-automake.sh
index a33e4f8db..962236470 100755
--- a/docker/build_scripts/install-automake.sh
+++ b/docker/build_scripts/install-automake.sh
@@ -23,11 +23,15 @@ if automake --version > /dev/null 2>&1; then
 	INSTALLED=$( (automake --version | head -1 || test $? -eq 141) | awk '{ print $NF }')
 	SMALLEST=$(echo -e "${INSTALLED}\n${AUTOMAKE_VERSION}" | sort -t. -k 1,1n -k 2,2n -k 3,3n -k 4,4n | head -1 || test $? -eq 141)
 	if [ "${SMALLEST}" == "${AUTOMAKE_VERSION}" ]; then
+		# add local aclocal files to system automake
+		echo "/usr/local/share/aclocal" >> "$(aclocal --print-ac-dir)/dirlist"
 		echo "skipping installation of automake ${AUTOMAKE_VERSION}, system provides automake ${INSTALLED}"
 		exit 0
 	fi
 fi
 
+SYSTEM_ACLOCAL="$(which aclocal)"
+
 fetch_source "${AUTOMAKE_ROOT}.tar.gz" "${AUTOMAKE_DOWNLOAD_URL}"
 check_sha256sum "${AUTOMAKE_ROOT}.tar.gz" "${AUTOMAKE_HASH}"
 tar -zxf "${AUTOMAKE_ROOT}.tar.gz"
@@ -45,5 +49,8 @@ cp -rlf /manylinux-rootfs/* /
 # Remove temporary rootfs
 rm -rf /manylinux-rootfs
 
+# keep system aclocal files with local automake
+"${SYSTEM_ACLOCAL}" --print-ac-dir >> "/usr/local/share/aclocal/dirlist"
+
 hash -r
 automake --version
diff --git a/tests/autotools/AUTHORS b/tests/autotools/AUTHORS
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/autotools/COPYING b/tests/autotools/COPYING
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d8f7841a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/autotools/COPYING
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+The MIT License (MIT)
+
+Copyright (c) 2016 manylinux
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/tests/autotools/ChangeLog b/tests/autotools/ChangeLog
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/autotools/Makefile.am b/tests/autotools/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/autotools/NEWS b/tests/autotools/NEWS
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/autotools/README b/tests/autotools/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/autotools/configure.ac b/tests/autotools/configure.ac
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8254e2d45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/autotools/configure.ac
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+AC_PREREQ([2.72])
+AC_INIT(test_autotools,1.0.0)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.17])
+AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
+LT_PREREQ([2.5.3])
+LT_INIT()
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])
+AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/tests/run_tests.sh b/tests/run_tests.sh
index 0a6c003fa..dc53348fa 100755
--- a/tests/run_tests.sh
+++ b/tests/run_tests.sh
@@ -186,5 +186,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 EOF
 /tmp/repro
 
+# check autotools
+pushd "$(mktemp -d)"
+cp -rf "${MY_DIR}/autotools"/* ./
+autoreconf -ifv
+./configure
+popd
+
 # final report
 echo "run_tests successful!"