diff --git a/COPYING b/COPYING
deleted file mode 100644
index ded21dabef..0000000000
--- a/COPYING
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Automake wants this file.  See LICENSE instead.
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 3926fc794c..0e8fa94252 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
+ # else it keeps trying to put COPYING back in
 
 SUBDIRS = src doc
 
 DIST_SUBDIRS = src doc
 
-EXTRA_DIST = LICENSE
+EXTRA_DIST = INSTALL README AUTHORS LICENSE
 
 #install-data-local:
 #	$(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(LOCALSTATEDIR)/lib/tor
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
deleted file mode 100644
index bd81a337d1..0000000000
--- a/NEWS
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-NEWS
-----
\ No newline at end of file