diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4c841f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# autotools- and configure-generated
+/aclocal.m4
+/Makefile.in
+/Makefile
+/*.cache/
+/configure
+/config.*
+
+# should be added using autoreconf -i
+/build-aux/install-sh
+/build-aux/missing
+/build-aux/mdate-sh
+/build-aux/texinfo.tex
+
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7911740
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+## Ulambda Makefile.am
+#
+#  Copyright (C) 2018 Mike Gerwitz
+#
+#  This file is part of Ulambda Scheme.
+#
+#  Ulambda Scheme is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+#  (at your option) any later version.
+#
+#  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+#  GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+##
+
+path_build_aux = $(top_srcdir)/build_aux
+path_bootstrap = $(top_srcdir)/bootstrap
+
+.PHONY: bootstrap
+
+all: bootstrap
+
+# will force a reconfigure (for version data) if in the git repo
+reconf:
+	test ! -d .git || ./autogen.sh
+
+bootstrap:
+if HAS_NODEJS
+	cd "$(path_bootstrap)" && "$(NODEJS)" bootstrap.js
+else
+	@echo "Node.js is required for command-line bootstrapping."
+	@echo "Alternatively, direct your web browser to"
+	@echo "bootstrap/bootstrap.html to bootstrap in-browser."
+	@exit 1
+endif
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8ba5e6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Generate configure script from repository
+#
+#  Copyright (C) 2018 Mike Gerwitz
+#
+#  This file is part of Ulambda Scheme.
+#
+#  Ulambda Scheme is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+#  (at your option) any later version.
+#
+#  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+#  GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# This script is not necessary to configure GNU ease.js; it is provided for
+# convenience.
+##
+
+which autoreconf >/dev/null || {
+  echo "fatal: missing autoreconf" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+exec autoreconf -fvi
diff --git a/bootstrap/Bootstrap.js b/bootstrap/Bootstrap.js
index 2c23efd..b1d30bd 100644
--- a/bootstrap/Bootstrap.js
+++ b/bootstrap/Bootstrap.js
@@ -413,7 +413,9 @@ class Bootstrap
      *
      * @param {Error} e error
      *
-     * @return {boolean} false
+     * @throws {Error} e
+     *
+     * @return {undefined}
      */
     _error( e )
     {
@@ -421,7 +423,7 @@ class Bootstrap
 
         this._logf( str, e );
 
-        return false;
+        throw e;
     }
 
 
diff --git a/bootstrap/bootstrap.js b/bootstrap/bootstrap.js
index fbf4b8a..296eead 100644
--- a/bootstrap/bootstrap.js
+++ b/bootstrap/bootstrap.js
@@ -50,4 +50,7 @@ const getf = path => Promise.resolve(
 
 const strap = new Bootstrap( getf, logf, new Prebirth() );
 
-strap.bootstrap();
+// Attempt bootstrap.  Error output is handled by Bootstrap, since the
+// output must also work correctly in a browser environment.
+strap.bootstrap()
+    .catch( _ => process.exit( 1 ) );
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4690324
--- /dev/null
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# For use by Autoconf
+#
+#  Copyright (C) 2018 Mike Gerwitz
+#
+#  This file is part of Ulambda Scheme
+#
+#  Ulambda Scheme is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+#  (at your option) any later version.
+#
+#  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+#  GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+##
+
+AC_INIT([easejs], [0.0.0-dev], [mtg@gnu.org])
+AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([build-aux])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign])
+
+# Node.js is required for command-line bootstrapping
+AC_ARG_VAR([NODEJS], [The Node.js interpreter])
+AC_CHECK_PROGS(NODEJS, [node nodejs])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(HAS_NODEJS, [test "$NODEJS"])
+
+# certain portions of the build process require that node be installed (in the
+# future, we may be able to allow alternatives, such as SpiderMonkey)
+test "$NODEJS" || AC_MSG_WARN([
+
+  Node.js is not installed; command-line bootstrapping will not be
+  available, but you may bootstrap using your web browser.
+])
+
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile])
+
+AC_OUTPUT