diff --git a/m4/ax_check_gl.m4 b/m4/ax_check_gl.m4
index e26ce5b930..5984130004 100644
--- a/m4/ax_check_gl.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_check_gl.m4
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ else
       GL_CFLAGS="-I${x_includes} -I${prefix}/include ${GL_CFLAGS}"
     fi
     if test -n "$x_libraries"; then
-      GL_LIBS="-L${x_libraries} -L${prefix}/lib -lX11 ${GL_LIBS}"
+      GL_LIBS="-L${x_libraries} -lX11 ${GL_LIBS}"
     fi
   fi
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ else
     else
       ax_try_lib="${ax_lib}"
     fi
-    LIBS="-L${prefix}/lib ${ax_try_lib} ${GL_LIBS} ${ax_save_LIBS}"
+    LIBS="${ax_try_lib} ${GL_LIBS} ${ax_save_LIBS}"
     AC_LINK_IFELSE(
     [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
 # if HAVE_WINDOWS_H && defined(_WIN32)
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ else
 # endif
 # include <GL/gl.h>]],
                      [[glBegin(0)]])],
-    [ax_cv_check_gl_libgl="-L${prefix}/lib ${ax_try_lib}"; break])
+    [ax_cv_check_gl_libgl="${ax_try_lib}"; break])
   done
   LIBS=${ax_save_LIBS}
   CPPFLAGS=${ax_save_CPPFLAGS}])
diff --git a/m4/ax_check_glu.m4 b/m4/ax_check_glu.m4
index 7a8105a535..d1c22fa3ce 100644
--- a/m4/ax_check_glu.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_check_glu.m4
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ if test "X${with_apple_opengl_framework}" != "Xyes"; then
     else
       ax_try_lib="${ax_lib}"
     fi
-    LIBS="-L${prefix}/lib ${ax_try_lib} ${GL_LIBS} ${ax_save_LIBS}"
+    LIBS="${ax_try_lib} ${GL_LIBS} ${ax_save_LIBS}"
     #
     # libGLU typically links with libstdc++ on POSIX platforms. However,
     # setting the language to C++ means that test program source is named
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ if test "X${with_apple_opengl_framework}" != "Xyes"; then
 # endif
 # include <GL/glu.h>]],
                      [[gluBeginCurve(0)]])],
-    [ax_cv_check_glu_libglu="-L${prefix}/lib ${ax_try_lib}"; break])
+    [ax_cv_check_glu_libglu="${ax_try_lib}"; break])
     if test X$ax_compiler_ms = Xyes; then
       AC_LANG_POP([C])
     fi
diff --git a/m4/ax_check_glut.m4 b/m4/ax_check_glut.m4
index 7c5280cce7..ee9d34b53f 100644
--- a/m4/ax_check_glut.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_check_glut.m4
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ else
     else
       ax_try_lib="${ax_lib}"
     fi
-    LIBS="-L${prefix}/lib ${ax_try_lib} ${GLUT_LIBS} ${ax_save_LIBS}"
+    LIBS="${ax_try_lib} ${GLUT_LIBS} ${ax_save_LIBS}"
     AC_LINK_IFELSE(
     [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
 #define FREEGLUT_STATIC 1
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ else
 # endif
 # include <GL/glut.h>]],
                      [[glutMainLoop()]])],
-    [ax_cv_check_glut_libglut="-L${prefix}/lib ${ax_try_lib}"; break])
+    [ax_cv_check_glut_libglut="${ax_try_lib}"; break])
 
   done
   LIBS=${ax_save_LIBS}
diff --git a/m4/check_ssl.m4 b/m4/check_ssl.m4
index 49b64c3f9f..3c68e0cae3 100644
--- a/m4/check_ssl.m4
+++ b/m4/check_ssl.m4
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ if test "x${SSL_LIBS}" = "x" ; then
       SSLDIR="${ssldir}"
       SSL_CFLAGS="-I$ssldir/include -I$ssldir/include/openssl";
       SSL_CXXFLAGS="-I$ssldir/include -I$ssldir/include/openssl";
-      SSL_LIBS="-L$ssldir -L$ssldir/lib -lssl -lcrypto"
+      SSL_LIBS="-lssl -lcrypto"
       AC_CHECK_LIB([dl], [dlopen], 
           [SSL_LIBS="${SSL_LIBS} ${sah_lib_last}"])
       AC_CHECK_LIB([z], [gzopen], 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ if test "x${SSL_LIBS}" = "x" ; then
       SSLDIR="${ssldir}"
       SSL_CFLAGS="-I$ssldir/include/"
       SSL_CXXFLAGS="-I$ssldir/include/"
-      SSL_LIBS="-L$ssldir -L$ssldir/lib -lssl -lcrypto"
+      SSL_LIBS="-lssl -lcrypto"
       AC_CHECK_LIB([dl], [dlopen], 
           [SSL_LIBS="${SSL_LIBS} ${sah_lib_last}"])
       AC_CHECK_LIB([z], [gzopen],