diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index 8c9e4066..07d995bc 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -153,14 +153,14 @@ Rule for building external libraries with configure-make pattern. Some 'configur
 | <a id="configure_make-additional_tools"></a>additional_tools |  Optional additional tools needed for the building. Not used by the shell script part in cc_external_rule_impl.   | <a href="https://bazel.build/docs/build-ref.html#labels">List of labels</a> | optional | [] |
 | <a id="configure_make-alwayslink"></a>alwayslink |  Optional. if true, link all the object files from the static library, even if they are not used.   | Boolean | optional | False |
 | <a id="configure_make-args"></a>args |  A list of arguments to pass to the call to <code>make</code>   | List of strings | optional | [] |
-| <a id="configure_make-autoconf"></a>autoconf |  Set to True if 'autoconf' should be invoked before 'configure', currently requires 'configure_in_place' to be True.   | Boolean | optional | False |
+| <a id="configure_make-autoconf"></a>autoconf |  Set to True if 'autoconf' should be invoked before 'configure', currently requires <code>configure_in_place</code> to be True.   | Boolean | optional | False |
 | <a id="configure_make-autoconf_env_vars"></a>autoconf_env_vars |  Environment variables to be set for 'autoconf' invocation.   | <a href="https://bazel.build/docs/skylark/lib/dict.html">Dictionary: String -> String</a> | optional | {} |
 | <a id="configure_make-autoconf_options"></a>autoconf_options |  Any options to be put in the 'autoconf.sh' command line.   | List of strings | optional | [] |
-| <a id="configure_make-autogen"></a>autogen |  Set to True if 'autogen.sh' should be invoked before 'configure', currently requires 'configure_in_place' to be True.   | Boolean | optional | False |
+| <a id="configure_make-autogen"></a>autogen |  Set to True if 'autogen.sh' should be invoked before 'configure', currently requires <code>configure_in_place</code> to be True.   | Boolean | optional | False |
 | <a id="configure_make-autogen_command"></a>autogen_command |  The name of the autogen script file, default: autogen.sh. Many projects use autogen.sh however the Autotools FAQ recommends bootstrap so we provide this option to support that.   | String | optional | "autogen.sh" |
 | <a id="configure_make-autogen_env_vars"></a>autogen_env_vars |  Environment variables to be set for 'autogen' invocation.   | <a href="https://bazel.build/docs/skylark/lib/dict.html">Dictionary: String -> String</a> | optional | {} |
 | <a id="configure_make-autogen_options"></a>autogen_options |  Any options to be put in the 'autogen.sh' command line.   | List of strings | optional | [] |
-| <a id="configure_make-autoreconf"></a>autoreconf |  Set to True if 'autoreconf' should be invoked before 'configure.', currently requires 'configure_in_place' to be True.   | Boolean | optional | False |
+| <a id="configure_make-autoreconf"></a>autoreconf |  Set to True if 'autoreconf' should be invoked before 'configure.', currently requires <code>configure_in_place</code> to be True.   | Boolean | optional | False |
 | <a id="configure_make-autoreconf_env_vars"></a>autoreconf_env_vars |  Environment variables to be set for 'autoreconf' invocation.   | <a href="https://bazel.build/docs/skylark/lib/dict.html">Dictionary: String -> String</a> | optional | {} |
 | <a id="configure_make-autoreconf_options"></a>autoreconf_options |  Any options to be put in the 'autoreconf.sh' command line.   | List of strings | optional | [] |
 | <a id="configure_make-configure_command"></a>configure_command |  The name of the configuration script file, default: configure. The file must be in the root of the source directory.   | String | optional | "configure" |
diff --git a/foreign_cc/configure.bzl b/foreign_cc/configure.bzl
index 9613227a..21a2b9d1 100644
--- a/foreign_cc/configure.bzl
+++ b/foreign_cc/configure.bzl
@@ -22,6 +22,21 @@ def _configure_make(ctx):
 
     tools_deps = ctx.attr.tools_deps + make_data.deps
 
+    if ctx.attr.autogen and not ctx.attr.configure_in_place:
+        fail("`autogen` requires `configure_in_place = True`. Please update {}".format(
+            ctx.label,
+        ))
+
+    if ctx.attr.autoconf and not ctx.attr.configure_in_place:
+        fail("`autoconf` requires `configure_in_place = True`. Please update {}".format(
+            ctx.label,
+        ))
+
+    if ctx.attr.autoreconf and not ctx.attr.configure_in_place:
+        fail("`autoreconf` requires `configure_in_place = True`. Please update {}".format(
+            ctx.label,
+        ))
+
     copy_results = "##copy_dir_contents_to_dir## $$BUILD_TMPDIR$$/$$INSTALL_PREFIX$$ $$INSTALLDIR$$\n"
 
     attrs = create_attrs(
@@ -112,7 +127,7 @@ def _attrs():
             default = False,
             doc = (
                 "Set to True if 'autoconf' should be invoked before 'configure', " +
-                "currently requires 'configure_in_place' to be True."
+                "currently requires `configure_in_place` to be True."
             ),
         ),
         "autoconf_env_vars": attr.string_dict(
@@ -124,7 +139,7 @@ def _attrs():
         "autogen": attr.bool(
             doc = (
                 "Set to True if 'autogen.sh' should be invoked before 'configure', " +
-                "currently requires 'configure_in_place' to be True."
+                "currently requires `configure_in_place` to be True."
             ),
             mandatory = False,
             default = False,
@@ -146,7 +161,7 @@ def _attrs():
         "autoreconf": attr.bool(
             doc = (
                 "Set to True if 'autoreconf' should be invoked before 'configure.', " +
-                "currently requires 'configure_in_place' to be True."
+                "currently requires `configure_in_place` to be True."
             ),
             mandatory = False,
             default = False,
diff --git a/foreign_cc/private/configure_script.bzl b/foreign_cc/private/configure_script.bzl
index 9e15cf6b..ff01d4a3 100644
--- a/foreign_cc/private/configure_script.bzl
+++ b/foreign_cc/private/configure_script.bzl
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def create_configure_script(
         root_path = "$$BUILD_TMPDIR$$"
         configure_path = "{}/{}".format(root_path, configure_command)
 
-    if autogen and configure_in_place:
+    if autogen:
         # NOCONFIGURE is pseudo standard and tells the script to not invoke configure.
         # We explicitly invoke configure later.
         autogen_env_vars = _get_autogen_env_vars(autogen_env_vars)
@@ -52,13 +52,13 @@ def create_configure_script(
             " ".join(autogen_options),
         ).lstrip())
 
-    if autoconf and configure_in_place:
+    if autoconf:
         script.append("{} autoconf {}".format(
             " ".join(["{}=\"{}\"".format(key, autoconf_env_vars[key]) for key in autoconf_env_vars]),
             " ".join(autoconf_options),
         ).lstrip())
 
-    if autoreconf and configure_in_place:
+    if autoreconf:
         script.append("{} autoreconf {}".format(
             " ".join(['{}="{}"'.format(key, autoreconf_env_vars[key]) for key in autoreconf_env_vars]),
             " ".join(autoreconf_options),