diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 65bbd2ce..60ba738e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ SUBDIRS		= lasso \
 
 ABS_BUILDDIR	= $(shell pwd)
 
-EXTRA_DIST	= COPYING lasso.pc.in
+EXTRA_DIST	= COPYING lasso.pc.in lasso-src-config.in
 
 pkgconfig_DATA	= lasso.pc
 pkgconfigdir	= $(libdir)/pkgconfig
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index efbb5de7..d818281a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -719,6 +719,8 @@ lasso.pc
 win32/Makefile
 win32/nsis/Makefile
 ])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([lasso-src-config], [chmod +x lasso-src-config])
+
 languages_available=`echo $languages_available | sed -e "s/^ //" `
 AC_MSG_RESULT(
 
diff --git a/lasso-src-config.in b/lasso-src-config.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..07da6c30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lasso-src-config.in
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# $Id$
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2004 David Beckett - http://purl.org/net/dajobe/
+# Institute for Learning and Research Technology - http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/
+# University of Bristol - http://www.bristol.ac.uk/
+# 
+# This package is Free Software or Open Source available under the
+# following licenses (these are alternatives):
+#   1. GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL)
+#   2. GNU General Public License (GPL)
+#   3. Mozilla Public License (MPL)
+# 
+# See LICENSE.html or LICENSE.txt at the top of this package for the
+# full license terms.
+# 
+# 
+#
+
+usage()
+{
+	cat<<EOF
+Usage: lasso-src-config [OPTION]
+
+known values for OPTION are:
+
+  --libs                print library linking information
+  --cflags              print pre-processor and compiler flags
+  --help                display this help and exit
+  --version             output version information
+  --run COMMAND         run the COMMAND with the shared libraries for
+                        the source tree
+EOF
+  exit $1
+}
+
+
+if test $# -eq 0; then
+  usage 1 1>&2
+fi
+
+
+while test $# -gt 0; do
+  case "$1" in
+    -*=*) optarg=`echo "$1" | sed 's/[-_a-zA-Z0-9]*=//'` ;;
+    *) optarg= ;;
+  esac
+
+  case $1 in
+    --version)
+      echo @VERSION@
+      exit 0
+      ;;
+    --cflags)
+      echo_cflags=yes
+      ;;
+    --libs)
+      echo_libs=yes
+      ;;
+    --usage)
+      usage 0 1>&2
+      ;;
+    --run)
+      lpath=@abs_top_builddir@/lasso/.libs
+      if test -d .libs; then
+        lpath=".libs:$lpath"
+      fi
+      if test `uname` = Darwin; then
+        DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$lpath:$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH
+        export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH
+      else
+        LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$lpath:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+        export LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+      fi
+      shift
+      exec ${1+"$@"}
+      ;;
+
+    *)
+      usage 1 1>&2
+      ;;
+  esac
+
+  shift
+done
+  
+if test "$echo_cflags" = "yes"; then
+  echo -I@abs_top_srcdir@/lasso
+fi
+if test "$echo_libs" = "yes"; then
+  echo -L@abs_top_builddir@/lasso/.libs @LASSO_CORE_LIBS@ @LASSO_LIBS@
+fi
diff --git a/perl/Makefile.PL b/perl/Makefile.PL
index 2135cf2e..2d5a21f8 100644
--- a/perl/Makefile.PL
+++ b/perl/Makefile.PL
@@ -4,11 +4,36 @@ use ExtUtils::MakeMaker;
 
 $CFLAGS=$ENV{CFLAGS} || "";
 
+my $objects="lasso_wrap.o ";
+
+if(-r '../lasso-src-config') {
+  my $lasso_libs=`../lasso-src-config --libs`;
+  chomp $lasso_libs;
+  $objects .= $lasso_libs;
+}
+
+my $includes="-I$TOP_SRCDIR/lasso";
+my $version=$ENV{VERSION};
+
+# I'm forced to do this since BASEEXT is defined in a non-overridable method.
+push(@ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Overridable, "init_main");
+
+sub MY::init_main {
+  my($self)=@_;
+  package MY; # so that "SUPER" works right
+  $self->SUPER::init_main();
+
+  # Stop perl linking with anything in the destination dir, it might
+  # be entirely the wrong library such as a previous version.
+  $self->{LDFLAGS} =~ s/-L\S+//;
+  $self->{LDDLFLAGS} =~ s/-L\S+//;
+}
+
+
 WriteMakefile(
 	      NAME    => 'lasso',	# Name of package
-	      VERSION => '0.5.9',
-	      LIBS    => ['-llasso'],  # Name of custom libraries
-	      OBJECT  => 'lasso_wrap.o', # Object files
+	      VERSION => $version,
+	      OBJECT  => "$objects",
 	      AUTHOR  => 'Frederic Peters <fpeters@entrouvert.com>',
 	      MAKEFILE => 'Makefile.perl',
 	      DEFINE    => "-DHAVE_CONFIG_H $CFLAGS",
diff --git a/perl/Makefile.am b/perl/Makefile.am
index 6d463001..ae725870 100644
--- a/perl/Makefile.am
+++ b/perl/Makefile.am
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ lasso_wrap.c lasso.pm: $(top_srcdir)/swig/Lasso.i $(top_srcdir)/swig/Lasso-wsf.i
 	$(SWIG) -v -perl5 -module lasso -o lasso_wrap.c $(top_srcdir)/swig/Lasso.i
 
 $(PERL_MAKEFILE): $(srcdir)/Makefile.PL lasso.pm
-	VERSION=$(VERSION) LASSO_CONFIG=@LASSO_CONFIG@ CFLAGS="$(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(SWIG_OPTS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(AM_STANDARD_CFLAGS)" $(PERL) $(srcdir)/Makefile.PL $(MAKE_PL_OPTS)
+	VERSION=$(VERSION) CFLAGS="$(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(SWIG_OPTS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(AM_STANDARD_CFLAGS)" $(PERL) $(srcdir)/Makefile.PL $(MAKE_PL_OPTS)
 
 -perl install-perl: $(PERL_MAKEFILE)
 	@target=`echo $@ | sed -e 's/-perl//'`; \