diff --git a/build-aux/bootstrap.sh.in b/build-aux/bootstrap.sh.in
index 6dd69bdb..192508a7 100644
--- a/build-aux/bootstrap.sh.in
+++ b/build-aux/bootstrap.sh.in
@@ -19,9 +19,13 @@
 # along with GNU Mes.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 LANG=
-MES_ARENA=${MES_ARENA-100000000}
-MES_MAX_ARENA=${MES_MAX_ARENA-100000000}
-MES_STACK=${MES_STACK-500000}
+MES_ARENA=${MES_ARENA-20000000}
+export MES_ARENA
+MES_MAX_ARENA=${MES_MAX_ARENA-${MES_ARENA}}
+export MES_MAX_ARENA
+MES_STACK=${MES_STACK-5000000}
+export MES_STACK
+MES_PREFIX=${MES_PREFIX-$PWD}
 
 . build-aux/configure-lib.sh
 
diff --git a/build-aux/check.sh.in b/build-aux/check.sh.in
index c01c92f2..eaf1674a 100644
--- a/build-aux/check.sh.in
+++ b/build-aux/check.sh.in
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
 
 set -e
 
+MES_ARENA=${MES_ARENA-20000000}
+export MES_ARENA
+MES_MAX_ARENA=${MES_MAX_ARENA-${MES_ARENA}}
+export MES_MAX_ARENA
+MES_STACK=${MES_STACK-5000000}
+export MES_STACK
+
 . ./config.sh
 
 if $courageous; then
diff --git a/build-aux/config.sh.in b/build-aux/config.sh.in
index 56eccf94..80a8df01 100644
--- a/build-aux/config.sh.in
+++ b/build-aux/config.sh.in
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ srcdir=${srcdir-"@srcdir@"}
 sysconfdir="@sysconfdir@"
 top_builddir="@top_builddir@"
 
+MES_PREFIX=${MES_PREFIX-$abs_top_srcdir}
+
 export PACKAGE
 export PACKAGE_NAME
 export PACKAGE_BUGREPORT
@@ -95,3 +97,4 @@ export courageous
 export srcdest
 export srcdir
 export GUILE_AUTO_COMPILE
+export MES_PREFIX
diff --git a/scripts/mescc.in b/scripts/mescc.in
index 255c22f5..504b3717 100644
--- a/scripts/mescc.in
+++ b/scripts/mescc.in
@@ -22,10 +22,13 @@ if [ "$V" = 2 ]; then
     set -x
 fi
 
-MES_ARENA=${MES_ARENA-100000000}
+MES_ARENA=${MES_ARENA-20000000}
 export MES_ARENA
 
-MES_STACK=${MES_STACK-500000}
+MES_MAX_ARENA=${MES_MAX_ARENA-${MES_ARENA}}
+export MES_MAX_ARENA
+
+MES_STACK=${MES_STACK-5000000}
 export MES_STACK
 
 MES_PREFIX=${MES_PREFIX-@prefix@}