diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index d84817d6..729827aa 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -46,11 +46,6 @@ AC_TYPE_SIGNAL
 AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
 
 CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -D_GNU_SOURCE"
-if test x$enable_debug = xyes; then
-  CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -DDEBUG"
-else
-  CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -DNDEBUG"
-fi
 
 AC_CHECK_MEMBERS([struct dl_phdr_info.dlpi_subs],,,[#include <link.h>])
 AC_CHECK_TYPES([sighandler_t], [], [],
@@ -91,8 +86,14 @@ is_gcc_altivec() {
  fi;
 }
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if building with AltiVec])
 use_altivec=`is_gcc_altivec`
 AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_ALTIVEC, test x$use_altivec = xhas_altivec)
+if test x$use_altivec = xhas_altivec; then
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+else
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+fi
 
 get_arch() {
  case "$1" in
@@ -110,6 +111,15 @@ build_arch=`get_arch $build_cpu`
 host_arch=`get_arch $host_cpu`
 target_arch=`get_arch $target_cpu`
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for build architecture])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$build_arch])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for host architecture])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$host_arch])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for target architecture])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$target_arch])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for target operating system])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$target_os])
+
 AM_CONDITIONAL(REMOTE_ONLY, test x$target_arch != x$host_arch)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ARCH_ARM, test x$target_arch = xarm)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ARCH_IA64, test x$target_arch = xia64)
@@ -129,14 +139,27 @@ if test x$target_arch = xppc64; then
         AC_SUBST([libdir])
 fi
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to restrict build to remote support])
 if test x$target_arch != x$host_arch; then
   CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -DUNW_REMOTE_ONLY"
+  remote_only=yes
+else
+  remote_only=no
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$remote_only])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to enable debug support])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug,
 [  --enable-debug          turn on debug support (slows down execution)],
-[enable_debug=yes], [])
+[enable_debug=yes], [enable_debug=no])
+if test x$enable_debug = xyes; then
+  CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -DDEBUG"
+else
+  CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -DNDEBUG"
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_debug])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to enable C++ exception support])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(cxx_exceptions,
 [  --enable-cxx-exceptions use libunwind to handle C++ exceptions],
 [enable_cxx_exceptions=$enableval], 
@@ -150,50 +173,58 @@ case $target_arch in
 esac
 ])
 
-if test x$enable_cxx_exceptions = xyes; then
-  AC_MSG_NOTICE([Enabling C++ exception support])
-fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([SUPPORT_CXX_EXCEPTIONS], [test x$enable_cxx_exceptions = xyes])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_cxx_exceptions])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to load .debug_frame sections])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug_frame,
 [  --enable-debug-frame Load the ".debug_frame" section if available],
 [enable_debug_frame=$enableval], [enable_debug_frame=no])
 if test x$enable_debug_frame = xyes; then
   AC_DEFINE([CONFIG_DEBUG_FRAME], [], [Enable Debug Frame])
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_debug_frame])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to block signals during mutex ops])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(block_signals,
 [  --enable-block-signals Block signals before performing mutex operations],
 [enable_block_signals=$enableval], [enable_block_signals=yes])
 if test x$enable_block_signals = xyes; then
   AC_DEFINE([CONFIG_BLOCK_SIGNALS], [], [Block signals before mutex operations])
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_block_signals])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to validate memory addresses before use])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(conservative_checks,
 [ --enable-conservative-checks Validate all memory addresses before use],
 [enable_conservative_checks=$enableval], [enable_conservative_checks=yes])
 if test x$enable_conservative_checks = xyes; then
   CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -DCONSERVATIVE_CHECKS"
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_conservative_checks])
 
 LIBUNWIND___THREAD
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if linker supports -static-libcxa])
 save_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
 LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -static-libcxa"
-AC_TRY_LINK([], [], [have_static_libcxa=yes])
+AC_TRY_LINK([], [], [have_static_libcxa=yes], [have_static_libcxa=no])
 LDFLAGS="$save_LDFLAGS"
 if test "x$have_static_libcxa" = xyes; then
   LDFLAGS_STATIC_LIBCXA="-XCClinker -static-libcxa"
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$have_static_libcxa])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Intel compiler])
 AC_TRY_COMPILE([], [#ifndef __INTEL_COMPILER
 #error choke me
-#endif], [intel_compiler=yes])
+#endif], [intel_compiler=yes], [intel_compiler=no])
 
 if test x$GCC = xyes -a x$intel_compiler != xyes; then
   CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -fexceptions -Wall -Wsign-compare"
   LIBCRTS="-lgcc"
 fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$intel_compiler])
 
 CCASFLAGS="${CCASFLAGS} ${CPPFLAGS}"