diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index f436be0710..7628474b47 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -311,6 +311,10 @@ EOF
 		"$rgt_lam_topdir/config/mca_make_configure.pl" \
 		    --lamdir "$rgt_lam_topdir" \
 		    --moduledir "`pwd`"
+                if test "$?" != "0"; then
+                    echo "*** autogen.sh failed to complete!"
+                    exit 1
+                fi
 		happy=1
 		file=configure.ac
 	    elif test -f configure.in; then
diff --git a/config/mca_configure.ac b/config/mca_configure.ac
index 483bd8cf02..b369d2f97a 100644
--- a/config/mca_configure.ac
+++ b/config/mca_configure.ac
@@ -24,37 +24,42 @@ AC_SUBST(top_lam_builddir)
 
 # Get the version of @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ that we are installing.
 
-LAM_GET_VERSION($srcdir/../../../../../config, @PARAM_VERSION_FILE@,
-  @PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@)
+if test -n "@PARAM_VERSION_FILE@" -a -f "@PARAM_VERSION_FILE@"; then
+    LAM_GET_VERSION($srcdir/../../../../../config, @PARAM_VERSION_FILE@,
+        @PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@)
 
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MAJOR_VERSION, 
-    $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MAJOR_VERSION, 
-    [Major LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MINOR_VERSION, 
-    $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MINOR_VERSION, 
-    [Minor LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_RELEASE_VERSION, 
-    $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_RELEASE_VERSION, 
-    [Release LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_ALPHA_VERSION, 
-    $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_ALPHA_VERSION, 
-    [Alpha LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_BETA_VERSION, 
-    $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_BETA_VERSION, 
-    [Beta LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_CVS_VERSION, 
-    $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_CVS_VERSION, 
-    [CVS LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_VERSION, 
-    "$@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_VERSION", 
-    [Overall LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version number])
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MAJOR_VERSION, 
+        $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MAJOR_VERSION, 
+        [Major LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MINOR_VERSION, 
+        $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_MINOR_VERSION, 
+        [Minor LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_RELEASE_VERSION, 
+        $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_RELEASE_VERSION, 
+        [Release LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_ALPHA_VERSION, 
+        $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_ALPHA_VERSION, 
+        [Alpha LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_BETA_VERSION, 
+        $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_BETA_VERSION, 
+        [Beta LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_CVS_VERSION, 
+        $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_CVS_VERSION, 
+        [CVS LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version])
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_VERSION, 
+        "$@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_VERSION", 
+        [Overall LAM MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ version number])
+    version_string="version $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_VERSION"
+else
+    version_string=""
+fi
 
 #
 # Start it up
 #
 
 LAM_CONFIGURE_SETUP
-lam_show_title "Configuring MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ module version $@PARAM_VAR_PREFIX@_VERSION"
+lam_show_title "Configuring MCA @MCA_TYPE@ @MCA_MODULE_NAME@ module $version_string"
 lam_show_subtitle "Initialization, setup" 
 
 #
diff --git a/config/mca_make_configure.pl b/config/mca_make_configure.pl
index 88f19a1a08..e835d75798 100755
--- a/config/mca_make_configure.pl
+++ b/config/mca_make_configure.pl
@@ -244,6 +244,42 @@ foreach my $key (sort keys(%config_param_names)) {
 
 }
 
+# Do some error checking on the values that we've determined
+
+if (! -f $config_params{PARAM_INIT_FILE}) {
+    print "*** WARNING: PARAM_INIT_FILE does not exist:\n";
+    print "*** WARNING:    $config_params{PARAM_INIT_FILE}\n";
+    print "*** WARNING: resulting configure script will not run properly!\n";
+    exit(1);
+}
+
+if ($config_params{PARAM_INIT_FILE} eq "" || 
+    ! -f $config_params{PARAM_INIT_FILE}) {
+    print "*** WARNING: PARAM_VERSION_FILE does not exit:\n";
+    print "*** WARNING:    $config_params{PARAM_VERSION_FILE} does not exist!\n";
+    print "*** WARNING: resulting configure script will not check for the version!!\n";
+}
+
+my @files = split(/ /, $config_params{PARAM_CONFIG_FILES});
+foreach my $file (@files) {
+    if (! -f "$file.in" && ! -f "$file.am") {
+        print "*** WARNING: PARAM_CONFIG_FILES file does not exist:\n";
+        print "*** WARNING:    $file.[in|am]\n";
+        print "*** WARNING: resulting configure script may not run correctly!!\n";
+        exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
+if (! -d $config_params{PARAM_CONFIG_AUX_DIR}) {
+    print "*** WARNING: PARAM_CONFIG_AUX_DIR does not exit:\n";
+    print "*** WARNING:    $config_params{PARAM_CONFIG_AUX_DIR}\n";
+    print "*** WARNING: Taking the liberty of trying to make it...\n";
+    if (mkdir($config_params{PARAM_CONFIG_AUX_DIR})) {
+        printf("BARF\n");
+        exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
 ############################################################################
 # Read in the configure.ac template
 ############################################################################
@@ -312,3 +348,5 @@ make_template("$lam_topdir/config/mca_acinclude.m4",
 ############################################################################
 
 print "\n$announce_str finished\n";
+
+exit(0);