diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-rpostgresql/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-rpostgresql/package.py
index 01467dfac2f..975d8d78365 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-rpostgresql/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/r-rpostgresql/package.py
@@ -27,3 +27,11 @@ class RRpostgresql(RPackage):
     depends_on('r@2.9.0:', type=('build', 'run'))
     depends_on('r-dbi@0.3:', type=('build', 'run'))
     depends_on('postgresql')
+
+    depends_on('automake', type='build')
+
+    patch_config_files = True
+
+    @run_before('install')
+    def patch_config_guess(self):
+        AutotoolsPackage._do_patch_config_files(self)