I just updated my local copy of gnulib (which I use as a submodule) and am seeing "was expanded before it was required" warnings from Autoconf.
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_HEADER_SYS_SOCKET' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockpfaf.m4:14: gl_SOCKET_FAMILIES is expanded from...
gl/m4/inet_pton.m4:66: gl_PREREQ_INET_PTON is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETS' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETLIB' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockets.m4:7: gl_SOCKETS is expanded from...
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_HEADER_SYS_SOCKET' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockpfaf.m4:14: gl_SOCKET_FAMILIES is expanded from...
gl/m4/inet_pton.m4:66: gl_PREREQ_INET_PTON is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETS' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETLIB' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockets.m4:7: gl_SOCKETS is expanded from...
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_HEADER_SYS_SOCKET' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockpfaf.m4:14: gl_SOCKET_FAMILIES is expanded from...
gl/m4/inet_pton.m4:66: gl_PREREQ_INET_PTON is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETS' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETLIB' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockets.m4:7: gl_SOCKETS is expanded from...
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_HEADER_SYS_SOCKET' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockpfaf.m4:14: gl_SOCKET_FAMILIES is expanded from...
gl/m4/inet_pton.m4:66: gl_PREREQ_INET_PTON is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETS' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
configure.ac:87: warning: AC_REQUIRE: `gl_SOCKETLIB' was expanded before it was required
gl/m4/sockets.m4:7: gl_SOCKETS is expanded from...
gl/m4/select.m4:7: gl_FUNC_SELECT is expanded from...
gl/m4/nanosleep.m4:14: gl_FUNC_NANOSLEEP is expanded from...
gl/m4/gnulib-comp.m4:556: gl_INIT is expanded from...
~/source/GNU/findutils/git/gnu/findutils$ autoconf --version ; automake --version
autoconf (GNU Autoconf) 2.69
Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+/Autoconf: GNU GPL version 3 or later
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
Written by David J. MacKenzie and Akim Demaille.
automake (GNU automake) 1.11.6
Copyright (C) 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
As far as I can see my versions of autoconf and automake meet the requirements in DEPENDENCIES.