diff --git a/runtime/syntax/automake.vim b/runtime/syntax/automake.vim
index eea2a9f..b34f751 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/automake.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/automake.vim
@@ -18,18 +18,12 @@
 " EXTRA_SOURCES.
 
 " Standard syntax initialization
-if version < 600
-  syntax clear
-elseif exists("b:current_syntax")
+if exists("b:current_syntax")
   finish
 endif
 
 " Read the Makefile syntax to start with
-if version < 600
-  source <sfile>:p:h/make.vim
-else
-  runtime! syntax/make.vim
-endif
+runtime! syntax/make.vim
 
 syn match automakePrimary "^\w\+\(_PROGRAMS\|_LIBRARIES\|_LISP\|_PYTHON\|_JAVA\|_SCRIPTS\|_DATA\|_HEADERS\|_MANS\|_TEXINFOS\|_LTLIBRARIES\)\s*\ze+\=="
 syn match automakePrimary "^TESTS\s*\ze+\=="me=e-1
@@ -59,34 +53,26 @@
 syn region  automakeMakeBString start=+`+  skip=+\\`+  end=+`+  contains=makeIdent,makeSString,makeDString,makeNextLine,automakeSubstitution
 
 " Define the default highlighting.
-" For version 5.7 and earlier: only when not done already
-" For version 5.8 and later: only when an item doesn't have highlighting yet
-if version >= 508 || !exists("did_automake_syntax_inits")
-  if version < 508
-    let did_automake_syntax_inits = 1
-    command -nargs=+ HiLink hi link <args>
-  else
-    command -nargs=+ HiLink hi def link <args>
-  endif
+" Only when an item doesn't have highlighting yet
+command -nargs=+ HiLink hi def link <args>
 
-  HiLink automakePrimary     Statement
-  HiLink automakeSecondary   Type
-  HiLink automakeExtra       Special
-  HiLink automakeOptions     Special
-  HiLink automakeClean       Special
-  HiLink automakeSubdirs     Statement
-  HiLink automakeConditional PreProc
-  HiLink automakeSubst       PreProc
-  HiLink automakeComment1    makeComment
-  HiLink automakeComment2    makeComment
-  HiLink automakeMakeError   makeError
-  HiLink automakeBadSubst    makeError
-  HiLink automakeMakeDString makeDString
-  HiLink automakeMakeSString makeSString
-  HiLink automakeMakeBString makeBString
+HiLink automakePrimary     Statement
+HiLink automakeSecondary   Type
+HiLink automakeExtra       Special
+HiLink automakeOptions     Special
+HiLink automakeClean       Special
+HiLink automakeSubdirs     Statement
+HiLink automakeConditional PreProc
+HiLink automakeSubst       PreProc
+HiLink automakeComment1    makeComment
+HiLink automakeComment2    makeComment
+HiLink automakeMakeError   makeError
+HiLink automakeBadSubst    makeError
+HiLink automakeMakeDString makeDString
+HiLink automakeMakeSString makeSString
+HiLink automakeMakeBString makeBString
 
-  delcommand HiLink
-endif
+delcommand HiLink
 
 let b:current_syntax = "automake"