--- clients/Makefile.am
+++ clients/Makefile.am
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 upsmon_SOURCES = upsmon.c upsmon.h upsclient.h
 
 upssched_SOURCES = upssched.c upssched.h
-upssched_LDADD = ../common/libcommon.a $(NETLIBS) ../common/parseconf.o 
+upssched_LDADD = ../common/libcommon.a ../common/libparseconf.la $(NETLIBS)
 
 upsimage_cgi_SOURCES = upsimage.c upsclient.h upsimagearg.h cgilib.c cgilib.h
 upsimage_cgi_LDADD = $(LDADD) $(LIBGD_LDFLAGS)
@@ -46,17 +46,5 @@
 
 # not LDADD.
 libupsclient_la_SOURCES = upsclient.c upsclient.h
-libupsclient_la_LIBADD = ../common/parseconf.lo
+libupsclient_la_LIBADD = ../common/libparseconf.la
 libupsclient_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 1:0:0
-
-# rules for cross-directory targets
-../common/libcommon.a: FORCE
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) libcommon.a)
-
-../common/parseconf.o:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) parseconf.o)
-
-../common/parseconf.lo:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) parseconf.lo)
-
-FORCE:
--- common/Makefile.am
+++ common/Makefile.am
@@ -3,17 +3,8 @@
 AM_CFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/include
 
 noinst_LIBRARIES = libcommon.a
-libcommon_a_SOURCES = common.c ../include/nut_version.h
-libcommon_a_LIBADD = $(LIBOBJS) $(ALLOCA)
+libcommon_a_SOURCES = common.c state.c upsconf.c ../include/nut_version.h
+libcommon_a_LIBADD = libparseconf.la
 
-all: libcommon.a upsconf.o parseconf.o state.o parseconf.lo
-
-# Define a dummy library so that Automake builds rules for the
-# corresponding object files.  This library is not actually built,
-EXTRA_LIBRARIES = libdummy.a
-libdummy_a_SOURCES = parseconf.c state.c upsconf.c
-
-../include/nut_version.h: FORCE
-	(cd ../include/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) nut_version.h)
-
-FORCE:
+noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libparseconf.la
+libparseconf_la_SOURCES =  parseconf.c
--- drivers/Makefile.am
+++ drivers/Makefile.am
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 
 # by default, link programs in this directory with libcommon.a
 #FIXME: SERLIBS is only useful for LDADD_DRIVERS_SERIAL not for LDADD_COMMON
-LDADD_COMMON = ../common/libcommon.a
-LDADD_DRIVERS = $(LDADD_COMMON) ../common/upsconf.o	\
- ../common/parseconf.o ../common/state.o main.o dstate.o
+LDADD_COMMON = ../common/libcommon.a ../common/libparseconf.la
+LDADD_DRIVERS = $(LDADD_COMMON) main.o dstate.o
 LDADD_HAL_DRIVERS = $(LDADD_COMMON) libnuthalmain.a
 LDADD_DRIVERS_SERIAL = $(LDADD_DRIVERS) $(SERLIBS) serial.o
 
@@ -86,7 +85,7 @@
 
 # upsdrvctl: the all-singing all-dancing driver control program
 upsdrvctl_SOURCES = upsdrvctl.c
-upsdrvctl_LDADD = $(LDADD_COMMON) ../common/upsconf.o ../common/parseconf.o
+upsdrvctl_LDADD = $(LDADD_COMMON)
 
 # serial drivers: all of them use standard LDADD and CFLAGS
 al175_SOURCES = al175.c
@@ -226,18 +225,3 @@
 libnuthalmain_a_SOURCES = main-hal.c dstate-hal.c
 
 MOSTLYCLEANFILES = libnuthalmain.a
-
-# rules for cross-directory targets
-../common/libcommon.a: FORCE
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) libcommon.a)
-
-../common/upsconf.o:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) upsconf.o)
-
-../common/parseconf.o:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) parseconf.o)
-
-../common/state.o:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) state.o)
-
-FORCE:
--- server/Makefile.am
+++ server/Makefile.am
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@
 if WITH_SSL
   AM_CFLAGS += $(LIBSSL_CFLAGS)
 endif
-LDADD = ../common/libcommon.a ../common/state.o ../common/upsconf.o	\
- ../common/parseconf.o $(NETLIBS)
+LDADD = ../common/libcommon.a ../common/libparseconf.la $(NETLIBS)
 if WITH_SSL
    LDADD += $(LIBSSL_LDFLAGS)
 endif
@@ -22,19 +21,4 @@
  netlist.h netmisc.h netset.h netuser.h ssl.h sstate.h stype.h upsd.h   \
  upstype.h user-data.h user.h
 
-sockdebug_SOURCES = sockdebug.c 
-
-# rules for cross-directory targets
-../common/libcommon.a: FORCE
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) libcommon.a)
-
-../common/upsconf.o:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) upsconf.o)
-
-../common/parseconf.o:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) parseconf.o)
-
-../common/state.o:
-	(cd ../common/ && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) state.o)
-
-FORCE:
+sockdebug_SOURCES = sockdebug.c