diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/package.py b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
index 5ceb1ce2a2..c61f8262f7 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/package.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 import time
 import functools
 import inspect
+import copy
+
 from StringIO import StringIO
 from urlparse import urlparse
 
@@ -135,7 +137,17 @@ def _append_checks(check_name):
             checks = getattr(meta, attr_name)
             if checks:
                 for phase_name, funcs in checks.items():
-                    phase = attr_dict.get(PackageMeta.phase_fmt.format(phase_name))
+                    try:
+                        # Search for the phase in the attribute dictionary
+                        phase = attr_dict[PackageMeta.phase_fmt.format(phase_name)]
+                    except KeyError:
+                        # If it is not there it's in the bases
+                        # and we added a check. We need to copy
+                        # and extend
+                        for base in bases:
+                            phase = getattr(base, PackageMeta.phase_fmt.format(phase_name), None)
+                        attr_dict[PackageMeta.phase_fmt.format(phase_name)] = copy.deepcopy(phase)
+                        phase = attr_dict[PackageMeta.phase_fmt.format(phase_name)]
                     getattr(phase, check_name).extend(funcs)
                 # Clear the attribute for the next class
                 setattr(meta, attr_name, {})
@@ -511,6 +523,8 @@ def __init__(self, spec):
         if self.is_extension:
             spack.repo.get(self.extendee_spec)._check_extendable()
 
+        self.extra_args = {}
+
     @property
     def package_dir(self):
         """Return the directory where the package.py file lives."""
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
index 51a5823aa5..54c74901f0 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 import shutil
 
 
-class Hdf5(Package):
+class Hdf5(AutotoolsPackage):
     """HDF5 is a data model, library, and file format for storing and managing
        data. It supports an unlimited variety of datatypes, and is designed for
        flexible and efficient I/O and for high volume and complex data.
@@ -58,13 +58,15 @@ class Hdf5(Package):
     depends_on("szip", when='+szip')
     depends_on("zlib")
 
-    def validate(self, spec):
+    @AutotoolsPackage.precondition('configure')
+    def validate(self):
         """
         Checks if incompatible variants have been activated at the same time
 
         :param spec: spec of the package
         :raises RuntimeError: in case of inconsistencies
         """
+        spec = self.spec
         if '+fortran' in spec and not self.compiler.fc:
             msg = 'cannot build a fortran variant without a fortran compiler'
             raise RuntimeError(msg)
@@ -73,8 +75,8 @@ def validate(self, spec):
             msg = 'cannot use variant +threadsafe with either +cxx or +fortran'
             raise RuntimeError(msg)
 
-    def install(self, spec, prefix):
-        self.validate(spec)
+    def configure_args(self):
+        spec = self.spec
         # Handle compilation after spec validation
         extra_args = []
 
@@ -137,16 +139,19 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
                 '--disable-hl',
             ])
 
-        configure(
-            "--prefix=%s" % prefix,
-            "--with-zlib=%s" % spec['zlib'].prefix,
-            *extra_args)
-        make()
-        make("install")
-        self.check_install(spec)
+        return ["--with-zlib=%s" % spec['zlib'].prefix] + extra_args
+        #configure(
+        #    "--prefix=%s" % prefix,
+        #    "--with-zlib=%s" % spec['zlib'].prefix,
+        #    *extra_args)
+        #make()
+        #make("install")
+        #self.check_install(spec)
 
-    def check_install(self, spec):
+    @AutotoolsPackage.sanity_check('install')
+    def check_install(self):
         "Build and run a small program to test the installed HDF5 library"
+        spec = self.spec
         print "Checking HDF5 installation..."
         checkdir = "spack-check"
         with working_dir(checkdir, create=True):
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py
index 0961bbb58c..edf6dc1d4c 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/lzo/package.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 from spack import *
 
 
-class Lzo(Package):
+class Lzo(AutotoolsPackage):
     """Real-time data compression library"""
 
     homepage = 'https://www.oberhumer.com/opensource/lzo/'
@@ -37,13 +37,13 @@ class Lzo(Package):
     version('2.06', '95380bd4081f85ef08c5209f4107e9f8')
     version('2.05', 'c67cda5fa191bab761c7cb06fe091e36')
 
-    def install(self, spec, prefix):
-        configure_args = [
-            '--prefix={0}'.format(prefix),
+    def configure_args(self):
+        return [
             '--disable-dependency-tracking',
             '--enable-shared'
         ]
-        configure(*configure_args)
-        make()
-        make('check')
-        make('install')
+
+    @AutotoolsPackage.sanity_check('build')
+    def check(self):
+        if self.extra_args.get('build-tests', False):
+            make('check')