diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2112606601..e0c5c25d5b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ if test "$enable_tools" != "no" || test "$enable_doc" != "no"; then
 *** autogen not found. Will not link against system libopts.
 *** ]])
 		dnl simulate specifying option on the command line
-		enable_local_libopts=yes
+		included_libopts=yes
 	fi
 	LIBOPTS_CHECK([src/libopts])
 	if test "$NEED_LIBOPTS_DIR" = "true";then
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 0374924c53..8dac61cac5 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -272,6 +272,25 @@ libcmd_systemkey_la_LIBADD += $(LTLIBREADLINE) $(INET_PTON_LIB) $(LIB_CLOCK_GETT
 
 SUFFIXES = .stamp .def .c.bak .h.bak
 
+if NEED_LIBOPTS
+# case --enable-local-libopts: We only call AUTOGEN if the .bak files are not present.
+# Normally we wouldn't want to call AUTOGEN here as it is explicitly asked not to, but
+# in certain CI systems, we need to use this
+# our CI systems, which work on
+.def.stamp:
+	b=`echo $@ | sed 's/.stamp$$//'`; \
+	if ! test -f $${srcdir}$${b}.c.bak;then \
+		echo $${srcdir}$${b}.c.bak; \
+		$(AUTOGEN) $<; \
+	else \
+		srcdir=$(srcdir)/; \
+		rm -f $${b}.c $${b}.h; \
+		cp -p $${srcdir}$${b}.c.bak $${b}.c; \
+		cp -p $${srcdir}$${b}.h.bak $${b}.h; \
+	fi
+	touch $@
+else
+# default case. We call autogen, and if that fails we resort to the bundled files.
 .def.stamp:
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(AUTOGEN) $< || { \
 		srcdir=''; \
@@ -281,6 +300,7 @@ SUFFIXES = .stamp .def .c.bak .h.bak
 		cp -p $${srcdir}$${b}.h.bak $${b}.h; \
 	} && \
 	touch $@
+endif
 
 .c.c.bak:
 	-@rm -f $@