diff --git a/make-release.el b/make-release.el
index 879fb230e..a6afe415f 100644
--- a/make-release.el
+++ b/make-release.el
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 (let* ((heimdal-version (getenv "HV"))
        (version-string (concat "Release " heimdal-version)))
   (find-file "configure.in")
-  (re-search-forward "AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(heimdal,\\(.*\\))")
-  (replace-match heimdal-version nil nil nil 1)
+  (if (re-search-forward "AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(heimdal,\\(.*\\))" (point-max) t)
+      (replace-match heimdal-version nil nil nil 1))
   (goto-char 1)
-  (re-search-forward "AC_INIT(heimdal, *\\(.*\\),")
-  (replace-match heimdal-version nil nil nil 1)
+  (if (re-search-forward "AC_INIT(heimdal, *\\(.*\\)," (point-max) t)
+      (replace-match heimdal-version nil nil nil 1))
   (save-buffer)
   ;;(vc-checkin "configure.in" nil version-string)
   (find-file "ChangeLog")