diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9b6c69ef5ce..19c095ee922 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -137,4 +137,6 @@ if test "$HAVE_NETLINK" = yes && test "$ESX" = no; then
     AC_DEFINE([LINUX_DATAPATH], [1], [System uses the linux datapath module.])
 fi
 
+m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES])
+
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/utilities/ovs-dev.py b/utilities/ovs-dev.py
index 1759cfdd25f..e8280ffd650 100755
--- a/utilities/ovs-dev.py
+++ b/utilities/ovs-dev.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def conf():
     configure = ["../configure", "--prefix=" + ROOT, "--localstatedir=" + ROOT,
                  "--with-logdir=%s/log" % ROOT, "--with-rundir=%s/run" % ROOT,
                  "--with-linux=/lib/modules/%s/build" % uname(),
-                 "--with-dbdir=" + ROOT, "--silent"]
+                 "--enable-silent-rules", "--with-dbdir=" + ROOT, "--silent"]
 
     if options.werror:
         configure.append("--enable-Werror")