diff --git a/doc/autoconf.texi b/doc/autoconf.texi
index 22f9684d..fdbf73dd 100644
--- a/doc/autoconf.texi
+++ b/doc/autoconf.texi
@@ -8846,18 +8846,16 @@ with their modern implementation.
 
 Autoconf provides a simple means to obsolete a macro.
 
-@defmac AU_DEFUN (@var{old-macro}, @var{implementation})
+@defmac AU_DEFUN (@var{old-macro}, @var{implementation}, @ovar{message})
 @acindex{DEFUN}
 @acindex{AU_DEFUN}
 Define @var{old-macro} as @var{implementation}.  The only difference
 with @code{AC_DEFUN} is that the user will be warned that
-@var{old-macro} is now obsolete; if she then uses @command{autoupdate},
-the call to @var{old-macro} will be replaced by the modern
-@var{implementation}.
+@var{old-macro} is now obsolete.
 
-Note that you can provide another definition with @code{AC_DEFUN} in
-order to update the way a macro is used without making it completely
-obsolete.
+If she then uses @command{autoupdate}, the call to @var{old-macro} will be
+replaced by the modern @var{implementation}.  In the future, 
+@command{autoupdate} will then print the additional @var{message}.
 @end defmac
 
 @node Coding Style
diff --git a/lib/autoconf/autoupdate.m4 b/lib/autoconf/autoupdate.m4
index 62bb3bcf..d071299f 100644
--- a/lib/autoconf/autoupdate.m4
+++ b/lib/autoconf/autoupdate.m4
@@ -50,17 +50,23 @@
 # Roland McGrath, Noah Friedman, david d zuhn, and many others.
 
 
-## ----------------------------------- ##
-## Defining macros to be autoupdated.  ##
-## ----------------------------------- ##
+## ---------------------------------- ##
+## Macros to define obsolete macros.  ##
+## ---------------------------------- ##
 
 
-# AU_DEFUN(NAME, NEW-CODE)
+# AU_DEFUN(NAME, NEW-CODE, [MESSAGE])
 # -----------------------------------
 # Declare that the macro NAME is now obsoleted, and should be replaced
 # by NEW-CODE.  Tell the user she should run autoupdate, and include
 # the additional MESSAGE.
 #
+# FIXME: MESSAGE should be grabbed with autom4te traces, and that's
+# why it is never used in the body of the macro; however, as of 2003-11-25
+# it is never used and it seems that it never was.  Also, MESSAGE is
+# used only once in AC_LINK_FILES, it may be the case to remove it from
+# there.  See the FIXME in AC_LINK_FILES as well.
+#
 # Also define NAME as a macro which code is NEW-CODE.
 #
 # This allows to share the same code for both supporting obsoleted macros,
diff --git a/lib/autoconf/status.m4 b/lib/autoconf/status.m4
index 9376c41c..216b64f9 100644
--- a/lib/autoconf/status.m4
+++ b/lib/autoconf/status.m4
@@ -735,12 +735,7 @@ m4_define([AC_LIST_LINKS_COMMANDS])
 #
 # _AC_LINK_CNT is used to be robust to multiple calls.
 AU_DEFUN([AC_LINK_FILES],
-[AC_DIAGNOSE([obsolete], [
-It is technically impossible to `autoupdate' cleanly from AC_LINK_FILES
-to AC_CONFIG_FILES.  `autoupdate' provides a functional but inelegant
-update, you should probably tune the result yourself and remove this
-warning.])
-m4_if($#, 2, ,
+[m4_if($#, 2, ,
        [m4_fatal([$0: incorrect number of arguments])])dnl
 m4_define([_AC_LINK_FILES_CNT], m4_incr(_AC_LINK_FILES_CNT))dnl
 ac_sources="$1"
@@ -751,7 +746,19 @@ while test -n "$ac_sources"; do
   [ac_config_links_]_AC_LINK_FILES_CNT="$[ac_config_links_]_AC_LINK_FILES_CNT $ac_dest:$ac_source"
 done
 AC_CONFIG_LINKS($[ac_config_links_]_AC_LINK_FILES_CNT)dnl
-])
+],
+dnl FIXME: Macros such as AC_USG put messages like this into an
+dnl AC_DIAGNOSE macro, in the first parameter of AU_DEFUN.  We cannot
+dnl do the same with this one, because it makes no sense to print it
+dnl when running `autoconf -W obsolete' on a configure script that uses
+dnl AC_LINK_FILES.  Instead, only `autoupdate' should print it (it may
+dnl be acceptable that autoupdated configure scripts print this message
+dnl when running `autoconf -W obsolete').  As of 2003-11-25, the third
+dnl argument to AU_DEFUN is broken, so this is never seen by the user.
+[
+  It is technically impossible to `autoupdate' cleanly from AC_LINK_FILES
+  to AC_CONFIG_FILES.  `autoupdate' provides a functional but inelegant
+  update, you should probably tune the result yourself.])# AC_LINK_FILES
 
 
 # Initialize.