diff --git a/.github/workflows/ares-shared.yml b/.github/workflows/ares-shared.yml
index 7c00c57..a865a16 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ares-shared.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ares-shared.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,21 @@ jobs:
       - name: Format
         run: cargo fmt --check
 
+      # Install third-party dependencies
+      #
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get install -y \
+            libcrypto++-dev       \
+            openssl               \
+            cmake                 \
+            libsecp256k1-dev &&
+          git clone https://github.com/dfoxfranke/libaes_siv.git &&
+          cd libaes_siv &&
+          cmake . &&
+          make &&
+          sudo make install
+
       # See clippy linter docs: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust-clippy
       #
       # First linter is set to fail for all warnings, then ignored warnings are
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 007e8fd..d0cc2d6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,3 +3,10 @@
 A redesigned Mars for the Urth/Mars Urbit runtime. Currently WIP.
 
 Read the [proposal](docs/proposal/proposal-nock-performance.md) and [hypotheses](docs/proposal/hypotheses.md) for an overview. Before branching or opening a PR please review the [contribution guidelines](CONTRIBUTING.md).
+
+## Installation
+
+Dependencies:
+* [`libaes_siv`](https://github.com/dfoxfranke/libaes_siv)
+* [`openssl`](https://github.com/openssl/openssl)
+* [`libsecp256k1`](https://github.com/bitcoin-core/secp256k1)
diff --git a/rust/ares/build.rs b/rust/ares/build.rs
index 64a2531..196f7d9 100644
--- a/rust/ares/build.rs
+++ b/rust/ares/build.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
-use autotools;
-
 fn main() {
     use std::env;
     let profile = env::var("PROFILE").unwrap();
 
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=./src/pma");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=./src/urcrypt");
 
     match profile.as_ref() {
         "debug" => debug(),
@@ -46,8 +45,9 @@ fn debug() {
         .compile("pma_malloc");
 
     let _urcrypt = autotools::Config::new("./src/urcrypt")
+        .reconf("-if")
+        .enable_shared()
         .disable_static()
-        .disable_shared()
         .build();
 }
 
diff --git a/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/.gitignore b/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/.gitignore
index b464b3f..8361cd4 100644
--- a/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/.gitignore
+++ b/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 *.pc
 config.h
+config.log
 config.status
 libtool
 
@@ -27,10 +28,12 @@ build-aux/compile
 /config.cache
 build-aux/config.guess
 /config.h.in
+/config.h.in~
 build-aux/config.log
 build-aux/config.status
 build-aux/config.sub
 /configure
+/configure~
 /configure.scan
 build-aux/depcomp
 build-aux/install-sh
@@ -54,3 +57,4 @@ build-aux/m4/lt~obsolete.m4
 # can automatically generate from config.status script
 # (which is called by configure script))
 Makefile
+
diff --git a/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/build-aux/m4/.gitkeep b/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/build-aux/m4/.gitkeep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/configure.ac b/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/configure.ac
index bdf78c1..002e646 100644
--- a/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/configure.ac
+++ b/rust/ares/src/urcrypt/configure.ac
@@ -56,18 +56,21 @@ AC_PROG_CC
 
 # Checks for pkg-config capable libraries
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBSECP256K1], [libsecp256k1])
+ac_save_CPPFLAGS=$CPPFLAGS
+CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $LIBSECP256K1_CFLAGS"
 AC_CHECK_HEADER([secp256k1_recovery.h], [],
                 [AC_MSG_ERROR([libsecp256k1 must have recovery enabled.])])
 AC_CHECK_HEADER([secp256k1_schnorrsig.h], [],
                 [AC_MSG_ERROR([libsecp256k1 must have Schnorr signatures enabled.])])
+CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_CPPFLAGS
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBCRYPTO], [libcrypto])
 
 AS_IF([test "$enable_shared" == "yes"],
   [# ensure crypto will be shared for shared object (see README.md)
-   save_LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS
-   save_CLAGS=$CFLAGS
-   LDFLAGS=$LIBCRYPTO_LIBS
-   CFLAGS=$LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS
+   save_LIBS=$LIBS
+   save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
+   LIBS="$LIBCRYPTO_LIBS $LIBS"
+   CFLAGS="$LIBCRYPTO_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([#include <openssl/sha.h>],
                                    [[unsigned char sha[32];
                                      SHA256("hello", 5, sha);]])],
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ AS_IF([test "$enable_shared" == "yes"],
         [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
         [AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot find shared object for libcrypto.])])],
      [AC_MSG_ERROR([unable to link libcrypto.])])
-     LDFLAGS=$save_LDFLAGS
+     LIBS=$save_LIBS
      CFLAGS=$save_CFLAGS])
 
 # Checks for non pkg-config libraries