diff --git a/ANNOUNCE b/ANNOUNCE
index 12d2a1cbd..587ac7f58 100644
--- a/ANNOUNCE
+++ b/ANNOUNCE
@@ -424,6 +424,8 @@ Version 1.5.0beta52 [October 16, 2010]
 Version 1.5.0beta53 [October 16, 2010]
   Updated INSTALL to mention using "make maintainer-clean" and to remove
     obsolete statement about a custom ltmain.sh
+  Disabled "color-tests" by default in Makefile.am so it will work with
+    automake versions earlier than 1.11.1
 
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diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index e84dccb3f..4229125fc 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -3062,6 +3062,8 @@ Version 1.5.0beta52 [October 16, 2010]
 Version 1.5.0beta53 [October 16, 2010]
   Updated INSTALL to mention using "make maintainer-clean" and to remove
     obsolete statement about a custom ltmain.sh
+  Disabled "color-tests" by default in Makefile.am so it will work with
+    automake versions earlier than 1.11.1
 
 Send comments/corrections/commendations to png-mng-implement at lists.sf.net
 (subscription required; visit
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 772630e23..25c6fb57c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
 PNGLIB_BASENAME= libpng@PNGLIB_MAJOR@@PNGLIB_MINOR@
 
 # libpng does not follow GNU file name conventions
-AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign color-tests
+
+# "color-tests" requires automake 1.11.1 or later.  Enable it if you like,
+# to get red "FAIL" and green "PASS" notations during tests.
+# AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign color-tests
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
 
 # test programs - run on make check, make distcheck
 check_PROGRAMS= pngtest pngvalid