diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1a1271295..90e72da46 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ tools/check-bolt
 coverage
 ccan/config.h
 __pycache__
+config.vars
 
 # Ignore some generated binaries
 lightningd/test/run-channel
@@ -46,4 +47,5 @@ test/test_protocol
 test/test_sphinx
 tests/.pytest.restart
 gossip_store
+
 .pytest_cache
diff --git a/configure b/configure
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..047196f57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/configure
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+# Simple configure script for c-lightning.
+
+set -e
+
+# Default values, loaded from environment or canned.
+PREFIX=${PREFIX:-/usr/local}
+CC=${CC:-cc}
+CWARNFLAGS=${CWARNFLAGS:--Werror -Wall -Wundef -Wmissing-prototypes -Wmissing-declarations -Wstrict-prototypes -Wold-style-definition}
+CDEBUGFLAGS=${CDEBUGFLAGS:--std=gnu11 -g -fstack-protector}
+DEVELOPER=${DEVELOPER:-0}
+COMPAT=${COMPAT:-1}
+CONFIGURATOR_CC=${CONFIGURATOR_CC:-$CC}
+
+CONFIGURATOR=ccan/tools/configurator/configurator
+CONFIG_VAR_FILE=config.vars
+CONFIG_HEADER=ccan/config.h
+
+usage_with_default()
+{
+    if [ $# = 4 ]; then
+	if [ $2 ]; then
+	    DEF=$4
+	else
+	    DEF=$3
+	fi
+    else
+	DEF=$2
+    fi
+    echo "  $1 (default $DEF)"
+}
+
+usage()
+{
+    echo "Usage: ./configure [--reconfigure] [setting=value] [options]"
+    echo "If --reconfigure is specified, $CONFIG_VAR_FILE will set defaults if it exists."
+    echo "Default settings:"
+    usage_with_default "CC" "$CC"
+    usage_with_default "CWARNFLAGS" "$CWARNFLAGS"
+    usage_with_default "CDEBUGFLAGS" "$CDEBUGFLAGS"
+    usage_with_default "CONFIGURATOR_CC" "$CONFIGURATOR_CC"
+    echo "    To override compile line for configurator itself"
+
+    echo "Options include:"
+    usage_with_default "--prefix=" "$PREFIX"
+    echo "    Prefix for make install"
+    usage_with_default "--enable/disable-developer" "$DEVELOPER" "enable" "disable"
+    echo "    Developer mode, good for testing"
+    usage_with_default "--enable/disable-compat" "$COMPAT" "enable" "disable"
+    echo "    Compatibility mode, good to disable to see if your software breaks"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+add_var()
+{
+    echo "Setting $1... $2"
+    echo "$1=$2" >> $CONFIG_VAR_FILE
+    [ -z "$3" ] || echo "#define $1 $2" >> "$3"
+}
+
+for opt in "$@"; do
+    case "$opt" in
+	--reconfigure)
+	    # Escape spaces for things like CWARNFLAGS.
+	    sed 's/=\(.*\)$/="\1"/' $CONFIG_VAR_FILE > $CONFIG_VAR_FILE.$$
+	    . ./$CONFIG_VAR_FILE.$$
+	    ;;
+	CC=*) CC="${opt#CC=}";;
+	CONFIGURATOR_CC=*) CONFIGURATOR_CC="${opt#CONFIGURATOR_CC=}";;
+	CWARNFLAGS=*) CWARNFLAGS="${opt#CWARNFLAGS=}";;
+	CDEBUGFLAGS=*) CDEBUGFLAGS="${opt#CDEBUGFLAGS=}";;
+	--prefix=*) PREFIX="${opt#--prefix=}";;
+	--enable-developer) DEVELOPER=1;;
+	--disable-developer) DEVELOPER=0;;
+	--enable-compat) COMPAT=1;;
+	--disable-compat) COMPAT=0;;
+	--help|-h) usage;;
+	*)
+	    echo "Unknown option '$opt'" >&2
+	    usage
+	    ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+echo -n "Compiling $CONFIGURATOR..."
+$CC $CWARNFLAGS $CDEBUGFLAGS -o $CONFIGURATOR $CONFIGURATOR.c
+echo "done"
+
+rm -f $CONFIG_VAR_FILE.$$
+$CONFIGURATOR --autotools-style --var-file=$CONFIG_VAR_FILE.$$ --header-file=$CONFIG_HEADER --configurator-cc="$CONFIGURATOR_CC" "$CC" $CWARNFLAGS $CDEBUGFLAGS
+mv $CONFIG_VAR_FILE.$$ $CONFIG_VAR_FILE
+
+add_var PREFIX "$PREFIX"
+add_var CC "$CC"
+add_var CONFIGURATOR_CC "$CONFIGURATOR_CC"
+add_var CWARNFLAGS "$CWARNFLAGS"
+add_var CDEBUGFLAGS "$CDEBUGFLAGS"
+add_var DEVELOPER "$DEVELOPER" $CONFIG_HEADER
+add_var COMPAT "$COMPAT" $CONFIG_HEADER