diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 130930401..f81117870 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-SUBDIRS = Include Lib Simulator Tools
+SUBDIRS = Include Lib Simulator Tools Tests
 
 EXTRA_DIST = Makefile.extra README.Win32 README.autoconf README.running Thanks
 
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index a5a6133e8..96ee38f04 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ PACKAGE = @PACKAGE@
 RANLIB = @RANLIB@
 VERSION = @VERSION@
 
-SUBDIRS = Include Lib Simulator Tools
+SUBDIRS = Include Lib Simulator Tools Tests
 
 EXTRA_DIST = Makefile.extra README.Win32 README.autoconf README.running Thanks
 ACLOCAL_M4 = $(top_srcdir)/aclocal.m4
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 6d9d0aa57..124832ae3 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
+New in 0.44:
+* command line option to set starting position by airport ID
+
 New in 0.43:
+* material properties bug fixed when rendering terrain.
+* bug in sky color generation fixed.
+* bug in fog color generation fixed.
 * zlib on the fly decompression/compression support.
 * more code reorganization and clean ups.
 * a fixed up 30 arcsec DEM file preprocessor.  World wide DEM's are 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fd69903b7..7c2e07c31 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ fi
 
 PACKAGE=FlightGear
 
-VERSION=0.43
+VERSION=0.44
 
 if test "`cd $srcdir && pwd`" != "`pwd`" && test -f $srcdir/config.status; then
   { echo "configure: error: source directory already configured; run "make distclean" there first" 1>&2; exit 1; }
@@ -4053,6 +4053,7 @@ trap 'rm -fr `echo "\
 	Tools/Stripe_u/Makefile \
 	Tools/Tri2obj/Makefile \
 	Tools/Triangle/Makefile \
+	Tests/Makefile \
 	 Include/config.h" | sed "s/:[^ ]*//g"` conftest*; exit 1' 1 2 15
 EOF
 cat >> $CONFIG_STATUS <<EOF
@@ -4190,6 +4191,7 @@ CONFIG_FILES=\${CONFIG_FILES-"\
 	Tools/Stripe_u/Makefile \
 	Tools/Tri2obj/Makefile \
 	Tools/Triangle/Makefile \
+	Tests/Makefile \
 	"}
 EOF
 cat >> $CONFIG_STATUS <<\EOF
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index a1e41dfaf..11253e345 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ dnl
 AC_INIT(Simulator/Aircraft/aircraft.c)
 
 dnl Initialize the automake stuff
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(FlightGear, 0.43)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(FlightGear, 0.44)
 
 dnl Checks for programs.
 
@@ -164,4 +164,5 @@ AC_OUTPUT( \
 	Tools/Stripe_u/Makefile \
 	Tools/Tri2obj/Makefile \
 	Tools/Triangle/Makefile \
+	Tests/Makefile \
 	)