diff --git a/bfd/configure.ac b/bfd/configure.ac
index 3b65d8fed4a..6bcfd1b7368 100644
--- a/bfd/configure.ac
+++ b/bfd/configure.ac
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 
 m4_include([version.m4])
-AC_INIT([bfd], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([bfd], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([libbfd.c])
 
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
diff --git a/binutils/configure.ac b/binutils/configure.ac
index 0373a426495..06c88e0048c 100644
--- a/binutils/configure.ac
+++ b/binutils/configure.ac
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ dnl
 
 m4_include([../bfd/version.m4])
 m4_include([../config/debuginfod.m4])
-AC_INIT([binutils], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([binutils], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(ar.c)
 
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
diff --git a/gas/configure.ac b/gas/configure.ac
index 503635072cf..6b978aae3f7 100644
--- a/gas/configure.ac
+++ b/gas/configure.ac
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 dnl v2.5 needed for --bindir et al
 m4_include([../bfd/version.m4])
-AC_INIT([gas], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([gas], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(as.h)
 
 dnl Autoconf 2.57 will find the aux dir without this.  However, unless
diff --git a/gdbsupport/configure.ac b/gdbsupport/configure.ac
index d0187f84d12..b30b4365f53 100644
--- a/gdbsupport/configure.ac
+++ b/gdbsupport/configure.ac
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ dnl along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 dnl Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
-AC_INIT([gdbsupport], 1.0)
+AC_INIT([gdbsupport], [1.0])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(common-defs.h)
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h:config.in])
 
diff --git a/gold/configure.ac b/gold/configure.ac
index 0e622c7405a..52f7a701128 100644
--- a/gold/configure.ac
+++ b/gold/configure.ac
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ dnl along with this program; see the file COPYING3.  If not see
 dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 
-AC_INIT(gold, 0.1)
+AC_INIT([gold], [0.1])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(gold.cc)
 
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
diff --git a/gprof/configure.ac b/gprof/configure.ac
index b2635680c15..1f0c5943357 100644
--- a/gprof/configure.ac
+++ b/gprof/configure.ac
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ dnl along with this program; see the file COPYING3.  If not see
 dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 m4_include([../bfd/version.m4])
-AC_INIT([gprof], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([gprof], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([gprof.c])
 
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET([])
diff --git a/gprofng/configure.ac b/gprofng/configure.ac
index 794e95793fc..691d6c9815a 100644
--- a/gprofng/configure.ac
+++ b/gprofng/configure.ac
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 m4_include([../bfd/version.m4])
 m4_include([../config/zlib.m4])
-AC_INIT([gprofng], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([gprofng], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([subdir-objects])
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
diff --git a/gprofng/libcollector/configure.ac b/gprofng/libcollector/configure.ac
index b0ef678305d..b923645c730 100644
--- a/gprofng/libcollector/configure.ac
+++ b/gprofng/libcollector/configure.ac
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ dnl along with this program; see the file COPYING3.  If not see
 dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 m4_include([../../bfd/version.m4])
-AC_INIT([gprofng], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([gprofng], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIRS([../../config ../..])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(../..)
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
diff --git a/ld/configure.ac b/ld/configure.ac
index cce094380de..8ba6cf9edfb 100644
--- a/ld/configure.ac
+++ b/ld/configure.ac
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 
 m4_include([../bfd/version.m4])
-AC_INIT([ld], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([ld], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(ldmain.c)
 
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
diff --git a/libbacktrace/configure.ac b/libbacktrace/configure.ac
index 6aa3ceb360b..1d7aedc74b1 100644
--- a/libbacktrace/configure.ac
+++ b/libbacktrace/configure.ac
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 # IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
 # POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-AC_INIT(package-unused, version-unused,, libbacktrace)
+AC_INIT([package-unused], [version-unused], [], [libbacktrace])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(backtrace.h)
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 
diff --git a/libctf/configure.ac b/libctf/configure.ac
index 51ad76e9755..cf0e988f7fb 100644
--- a/libctf/configure.ac
+++ b/libctf/configure.ac
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 
 AC_PREREQ([2.64])
-AC_INIT([libctf], 1.2.0)
+AC_INIT([libctf], [1.2.0])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(ctf-impl.h)
 AC_CANONICAL_BUILD
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
diff --git a/libsframe/configure.ac b/libsframe/configure.ac
index d63f27070eb..8cbd3cde14f 100644
--- a/libsframe/configure.ac
+++ b/libsframe/configure.ac
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dnl along with this program; see the file COPYING.  If not see
 dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 
-AC_INIT([libsframe], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([libsframe], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(sframe.c)
 AC_USE_SYSTEM_EXTENSIONS
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
diff --git a/opcodes/configure.ac b/opcodes/configure.ac
index 31ab922440e..4d918e3ef9b 100644
--- a/opcodes/configure.ac
+++ b/opcodes/configure.ac
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dnl <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 dnl
 
 m4_include([../bfd/version.m4])
-AC_INIT([opcodes], BFD_VERSION)
+AC_INIT([opcodes], [BFD_VERSION])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([z8k-dis.c])
 
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
diff --git a/readline/readline/configure.ac b/readline/readline/configure.ac
index 6a9d77f0c51..f2900752e8d 100644
--- a/readline/readline/configure.ac
+++ b/readline/readline/configure.ac
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ AC_REVISION([for Readline 8.1, version 2.90])
 
 m4_include([../../config/override.m4])
 
-AC_INIT(readline, 8.1, bug-readline@gnu.org)
+AC_INIT([readline], [8.1], [bug-readline@gnu.org])
 
 dnl make sure we are using a recent autoconf version
 AC_PREREQ([2.50])