diff --git a/moo/Makefile.in b/moo/Makefile.in
index 2105b34..9e029b0 100644
--- a/moo/Makefile.in
+++ b/moo/Makefile.in
@@ -355,7 +355,6 @@ pdfdir = @pdfdir@
 prefix = @prefix@
 program_transform_name = @program_transform_name@
 psdir = @psdir@
-runstatedir = @runstatedir@
 sbindir = @sbindir@
 sharedstatedir = @sharedstatedir@
 srcdir = @srcdir@
@@ -586,7 +585,7 @@ distdir: $(DISTFILES)
 	  ! -type d ! -perm -444 -exec $(install_sh) -c -m a+r {} {} \; \
 	|| chmod -R a+r "$(distdir)"
 dist-gzip: distdir
-	tardir=$(distdir) && $(am__tar) | GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -c >$(distdir).tar.gz
+	tardir=$(distdir) && $(am__tar) | eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -c >$(distdir).tar.gz
 	$(am__post_remove_distdir)
 
 dist-bzip2: distdir
@@ -612,7 +611,7 @@ dist-shar: distdir
 	@echo WARNING: "Support for shar distribution archives is" \
 	               "deprecated." >&2
 	@echo WARNING: "It will be removed altogether in Automake 2.0" >&2
-	shar $(distdir) | GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -c >$(distdir).shar.gz
+	shar $(distdir) | eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -c >$(distdir).shar.gz
 	$(am__post_remove_distdir)
 
 dist-zip: distdir
@@ -630,7 +629,7 @@ dist dist-all:
 distcheck: dist
 	case '$(DIST_ARCHIVES)' in \
 	*.tar.gz*) \
-	  GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -dc $(distdir).tar.gz | $(am__untar) ;;\
+	  eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -dc $(distdir).tar.gz | $(am__untar) ;;\
 	*.tar.bz2*) \
 	  bzip2 -dc $(distdir).tar.bz2 | $(am__untar) ;;\
 	*.tar.lz*) \
@@ -640,7 +639,7 @@ distcheck: dist
 	*.tar.Z*) \
 	  uncompress -c $(distdir).tar.Z | $(am__untar) ;;\
 	*.shar.gz*) \
-	  GZIP=$(GZIP_ENV) gzip -dc $(distdir).shar.gz | unshar ;;\
+	  eval GZIP= gzip $(GZIP_ENV) -dc $(distdir).shar.gz | unshar ;;\
 	*.zip*) \
 	  unzip $(distdir).zip ;;\
 	esac
diff --git a/moo/configure b/moo/configure
index d303ef0..830b9df 100755
--- a/moo/configure
+++ b/moo/configure
@@ -791,7 +791,6 @@ infodir
 docdir
 oldincludedir
 includedir
-runstatedir
 localstatedir
 sharedstatedir
 sysconfdir
@@ -888,7 +887,6 @@ datadir='${datarootdir}'
 sysconfdir='${prefix}/etc'
 sharedstatedir='${prefix}/com'
 localstatedir='${prefix}/var'
-runstatedir='${localstatedir}/run'
 includedir='${prefix}/include'
 oldincludedir='/usr/include'
 docdir='${datarootdir}/doc/${PACKAGE_TARNAME}'
@@ -1141,15 +1139,6 @@ do
   | -silent | --silent | --silen | --sile | --sil)
     silent=yes ;;
 
-  -runstatedir | --runstatedir | --runstatedi | --runstated \
-  | --runstate | --runstat | --runsta | --runst | --runs \
-  | --run | --ru | --r)
-    ac_prev=runstatedir ;;
-  -runstatedir=* | --runstatedir=* | --runstatedi=* | --runstated=* \
-  | --runstate=* | --runstat=* | --runsta=* | --runst=* | --runs=* \
-  | --run=* | --ru=* | --r=*)
-    runstatedir=$ac_optarg ;;
-
   -sbindir | --sbindir | --sbindi | --sbind | --sbin | --sbi | --sb)
     ac_prev=sbindir ;;
   -sbindir=* | --sbindir=* | --sbindi=* | --sbind=* | --sbin=* \
@@ -1287,7 +1276,7 @@ fi
 for ac_var in	exec_prefix prefix bindir sbindir libexecdir datarootdir \
 		datadir sysconfdir sharedstatedir localstatedir includedir \
 		oldincludedir docdir infodir htmldir dvidir pdfdir psdir \
-		libdir localedir mandir runstatedir
+		libdir localedir mandir
 do
   eval ac_val=\$$ac_var
   # Remove trailing slashes.
@@ -1440,7 +1429,6 @@ Fine tuning of the installation directories:
   --sysconfdir=DIR        read-only single-machine data [PREFIX/etc]
   --sharedstatedir=DIR    modifiable architecture-independent data [PREFIX/com]
   --localstatedir=DIR     modifiable single-machine data [PREFIX/var]
-  --runstatedir=DIR       modifiable per-process data [LOCALSTATEDIR/run]
   --libdir=DIR            object code libraries [EPREFIX/lib]
   --includedir=DIR        C header files [PREFIX/include]
   --oldincludedir=DIR     C header files for non-gcc [/usr/include]
diff --git a/moo/lib/Makefile.in b/moo/lib/Makefile.in
index ecf645b..57d7a04 100644
--- a/moo/lib/Makefile.in
+++ b/moo/lib/Makefile.in
@@ -404,7 +404,6 @@ pdfdir = @pdfdir@
 prefix = @prefix@
 program_transform_name = @program_transform_name@
 psdir = @psdir@
-runstatedir = @runstatedir@
 sbindir = @sbindir@
 sharedstatedir = @sharedstatedir@
 srcdir = @srcdir@
diff --git a/moo/lib/std.c b/moo/lib/std.c
index 06bc1af..3883337 100644
--- a/moo/lib/std.c
+++ b/moo/lib/std.c
@@ -2805,6 +2805,8 @@ static MOO_INLINE void start_ticker (void)
 	thr = CreateThread(MOO_NULL, 0, msw_wait_for_timer_event, MOO_NULL, 0, MOO_NULL);
 	if (thr)
 	{
+		SetThreadPriority (thr, THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGHEST);
+
 		/* MSDN - The thread object remains in the system until the thread has terminated 
 		 *        and all handles to it have been closed through a call to CloseHandle.
 		 * it is safe to close the handle here */
diff --git a/moo/mod/Makefile.in b/moo/mod/Makefile.in
index ded4eec..721f361 100644
--- a/moo/mod/Makefile.in
+++ b/moo/mod/Makefile.in
@@ -419,7 +419,6 @@ pdfdir = @pdfdir@
 prefix = @prefix@
 program_transform_name = @program_transform_name@
 psdir = @psdir@
-runstatedir = @runstatedir@
 sbindir = @sbindir@
 sharedstatedir = @sharedstatedir@
 srcdir = @srcdir@