diff --git a/package/libmad/0006-configure-ac-automake-foreign.patch b/package/libmad/0006-configure-ac-automake-foreign.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..828ad0c152
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package/libmad/0006-configure-ac-automake-foreign.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+configure.ac: don't require GNU-specific files when running automake
+
+Signed-off-by: Fabrice Fontaine <fontaine.fabrice@gmail.com>
+
+diff -ur libmad-0.15.1b-orig/configure.ac libmad-0.15.1b/configure.ac
+--- libmad-0.15.1b-orig/configure.ac	2019-01-17 21:24:52.259194527 +0100
++++ libmad-0.15.1b/configure.ac	2019-01-17 21:25:32.779481058 +0100
+@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
+ 
+ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([decoder.h])
+ 
+-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
++AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign])
+ 
+ AM_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h])
+ 
diff --git a/package/libmad/libmad.mk b/package/libmad/libmad.mk
index 7175eaa30e..108c4f641b 100644
--- a/package/libmad/libmad.mk
+++ b/package/libmad/libmad.mk
@@ -13,17 +13,15 @@ LIBMAD_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 LIBMAD_PATCH = \
 	https://sources.debian.net/data/main/libm/libmad/0.15.1b-8/debian/patches/frame_length.diff
 
-define LIBMAD_PREVENT_AUTOMAKE
-	# Prevent automake from running.
-	(cd $(@D); touch -c config* aclocal.m4 Makefile*);
-endef
+# Force autoreconf to be able to use a more recent libtool script, that
+# is able to properly behave in the face of a missing C++ compiler.
+LIBMAD_AUTORECONF = YES
 
 define LIBMAD_INSTALL_STAGING_PC
 	$(INSTALL) -D package/libmad/mad.pc \
 		$(STAGING_DIR)/usr/lib/pkgconfig/mad.pc
 endef
 
-LIBMAD_POST_PATCH_HOOKS += LIBMAD_PREVENT_AUTOMAKE
 LIBMAD_POST_INSTALL_STAGING_HOOKS += LIBMAD_INSTALL_STAGING_PC
 
 LIBMAD_CONF_OPTS = \