--- a/gnulib-tool
+++ b/gnulib-tool
@@ -346,6 +346,34 @@ Options for --import, --add/remove-impor
 Report bugs to <bug-gnulib@gnu.org>."
 }
 
+get_version_sed='
+# Move version to start of line.
+s/.*[v ]\([0-9]\)/\1/
+
+# Skip lines that do not start with version.
+/^[0-9]/!d
+
+# Remove characters after the version.
+s/[^.a-z0-9-].*//
+
+# The first component must be digits only.
+s/^\([0-9]*\)[a-z-].*/\1/
+
+# The following essentially does s/5.005/5.5/
+s/\.0*\([1-9]\)/.\1/g
+p
+q'
+
+# get_version
+# copied from build-aux/bootstrap
+get_version () {
+  app=$1
+
+  $app --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || { $app --version; return 1; }
+
+  $app --version 2>&1 | sed -n "$get_version_sed"
+}
+
 # func_version
 # outputs to stdout the --version message.
 func_version ()
@@ -1620,6 +1648,9 @@ func_determine_path_separator
   fi
   case "$autoconf_minversion" in
     1.* | 2.[0-5]* | 2.6[0-3]*)
+      # if the version of autoconf in use is high enough, do not error
+      case "$(get_version autoconf)" in 1.* | 2.[0-5]* | 2.6[0-3]*) false ;; esac && \
+      func_warning "gnulib requires a newer version of autoconf than configure.ac ( $DEFAULT_AUTOCONF_MINVERSION > AC_PREREQ([$autoconf_minversion]) )" || \
       func_fatal_error "minimum supported autoconf version is 2.64. Try adding AC_PREREQ([$DEFAULT_AUTOCONF_MINVERSION]) to your configure.ac." ;;
   esac