diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nauty/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nauty/package.py
index 11c7945f39ba6e2e79fbb9a1d803056c26a7d003..1dc60a28ac4d91b1bb4508d2862b4729e48d7baa 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nauty/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nauty/package.py
@@ -23,67 +23,62 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 ##############################################################################
 
-import shutil
+import os
 from spack import *
 
 
-class Nauty(Package):
+class Nauty(AutotoolsPackage):
     """nauty and Traces are programs for computing automorphism groups of
     graphsq and digraphs"""
     homepage = "http://pallini.di.uniroma1.it/index.html"
     url      = "http://pallini.di.uniroma1.it/nauty26r7.tar.gz"
 
     version('2.6r7', 'b2b18e03ea7698db3fbe06c5d76ad8fe')
-    version('2.6r5', '91b03a7b069962e94fc9aac8831ce8d2')
-    version('2.5r9', 'e8ecd08b0892a1fb13329c147f08de6d')
+
+    # Debian/ Fedora patches for @2.6r7:
+    urls_for_patches = {
+        '@2.6r7': [
+            # Debian patch to fix the gt_numorbits declaration
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-fix-gt_numorbits.patch', 'a6e1ef4897aabd67c104fd1d78bcc334'),  # noqa: E50
+            # Debian patch to add explicit extern declarations where needed
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-fix-include-extern.patch', '741034dec2d2f8b418b6e186aa3eb50f'),  # noqa: E50
+            # Debian patch to use zlib instead of invoking zcat through a pipe
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-zlib-blisstog.patch', '667e1ce341f2506482ad30afd04f17e3'),  # noqa: E50
+            # Debian patch to improve usage and help information
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-help2man.patch', '4202e6d83362daa2c4c4ab0788e11ac5'),  # noqa: E50
+            # Debian patch to add libtool support for building a shared library
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-autotoolization.patch', 'ea75f19c8a980c4d6d4e07223785c751'),  # noqa: E50
+            # Debian patch to canonicalize header file usage
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-includes.patch', 'c6ce4209d1381fb5489ed552ef35d7dc'),  # noqa: E50
+            # Debian patch to prefix "nauty-" to the names of the generic tools
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-tool-prefix.patch', 'e89d87b4450adc5d0009ce11438dc975'),  # noqa: E50
+            # Fedora patch to detect availability of the popcnt
+            # instruction at runtime
+            ('https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/nauty/raw/0f07d01caf84e9d30cb06b11af4860dd3837636a/f/nauty-popcnt.patch', '8a32d31a7150c8f5f21ccb1f6dc857b1')  # noqa: E50
+        ]
+    }
+    # Iterate over patches
+    for condition, urls in urls_for_patches.items():
+        for url, md5 in urls:
+            patch(url, when=condition, level=1, md5=md5)
+
+    depends_on('m4',  type='build', when='@2.6r7')
+    depends_on('autoconf',  type='build', when='@2.6r7')
+    depends_on('automake',  type='build', when='@2.6r7')
+    depends_on('libtool',  type='build', when='@2.6r7')
+    depends_on('pkg-config',  type='build')
+    depends_on('zlib')
+
+    @property
+    def force_autoreconf(self):
+        return self.spec.satisfies('@2.6r7')
 
     def url_for_version(self, version):
         url = "http://pallini.di.uniroma1.it/nauty{0}.tar.gz"
         return url.format(version.joined)
 
-    def install(self, spec, prefix):
-        configure('--prefix=%s' % prefix)
-        make()
-
-        exes = [
-            "NRswitchg",
-            "addedgeg",
-            "amtog",
-            "biplabg",
-            "catg",
-            "complg",
-            "converseg",
-            "copyg",
-            "countg",
-            "cubhamg",
-            "deledgeg",
-            "delptg",
-            "directg",
-            "dreadnaut",
-            "dretodot",
-            "dretog",
-            "genbg",
-            "genbgL",
-            "geng",
-            "genquarticg",
-            "genrang",
-            "genspecialg",
-            "gentourng",
-            "gentreeg",
-            "hamheuristic",
-            "labelg",
-            "linegraphg",
-            "listg",
-            "multig",
-            "newedgeg",
-            "pickg",
-            "planarg",
-            "ranlabg",
-            "shortg",
-            "subdivideg",
-            "twohamg",
-            "vcolg",
-            "watercluster2"]
-        mkdirp(prefix.bin)
-        for exe in exes:
-            shutil.copyfile(exe, join_path(prefix.bin, exe))
+    def patch(self):
+        os.remove('makefile')
+        ver = str(self.version.dotted).replace('r', '.')
+        if self.spec.satisfies('@2.6r7'):
+            filter_file('@INJECTVER@', ver, "configure.ac")