diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 709f18f37dfa050ddd9db3c02d9346e6c7226b9e..525e93b2e856e5d41c5c481edbcb95d4fa9a1f00 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 AC_PREREQ(2.50)
 DUNE_AC_INIT # gets module version from dune.module file
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
+AM_SILENT_RULES
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/test-gradient-method.cc])
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h])