diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8994ecda..6de205ad 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# Build directory (out-of-tree build)
+/build/
+
 # Build outputs
 *.o
 *.lo
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30a653e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Bootstrap Makefile for utun
+# All build artifacts (.o) go to build/ directory
+# Final binary (utun) is copied to project root
+
+BUILD_DIR = build
+
+all:
+	@mkdir -p $(BUILD_DIR)
+	@if test ! -f $(BUILD_DIR)/config.status || test ./configure -nt $(BUILD_DIR)/config.status; then \
+		echo "Configuring in $(BUILD_DIR)/..."; \
+		cd $(BUILD_DIR) && ../configure; \
+	fi
+	@$(MAKE) -C $(BUILD_DIR)
+
+clean:
+	-rm -rf $(BUILD_DIR)
+
+distclean: clean
+	-rm -f config.status config.log config.h stamp-h1
+	-rm -rf autom4te.cache/
+
+check: all
+	@$(MAKE) -C $(BUILD_DIR) check
+
+install:
+	@$(MAKE) -C $(BUILD_DIR) install
+
+.PHONY: all clean distclean check install
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 521908d8..01e7562c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,26 +1,8 @@
 # Main Makefile.am for utun - root directory configuration
 
-# This is the root Makefile.am - tests are defined in tests/Makefile.am
-
-# Basic configuration for root directory
 # Order matters: lib -> src -> tests (tests depend on src objects)
 SUBDIRS = lib src tests
 
-# Build directory for out-of-tree builds
-BUILD_DIR = build
-
-# Custom target to run full build in separate directory
-.PHONY: fullbuild
-fullbuild:
-	@echo "Building in $(BUILD_DIR)/ directory..."
-	@$(MKDIR_P) $(BUILD_DIR)
-	@if test ! -f $(BUILD_DIR)/Makefile; then \
-		echo "Running configure in $(BUILD_DIR)..."; \
-		cd $(BUILD_DIR) && $(top_srcdir)/configure; \
-	fi
-	@$(MAKE) -C $(BUILD_DIR) all
-	@echo "Build complete. Binaries copied to project root."
-
 # Clean build directory
 clean-local:
-	-rm -rf $(BUILD_DIR)
+	-rm -rf build/
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index c838defa..98094a67 100644
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -69,17 +69,16 @@ fi
 if [ "$CLEAN" -eq 1 ]; then
     echo "Cleaning build..."
     make clean 2>/dev/null || true
-    rm -f config.status config.h
 fi
 
-# Full rebuild: clean everything and regenerate
+# Full rebuild: regenerate build system
 if [ "$FULL_REBUILD" -eq 1 ]; then
     echo ""
     echo "======================================"
-    echo "FULL REBUILD: autoreconf + configure"
+    echo "FULL REBUILD: autoreconf"
     echo "======================================"
     echo ""
-    
+
     # Check for autotools
     if ! command -v autoreconf &> /dev/null; then
         echo "Error: autoreconf not found."
@@ -90,29 +89,24 @@ if [ "$FULL_REBUILD" -eq 1 ]; then
         fi
         exit 1
     fi
-    
+
     # Clean generated files
     echo "Cleaning generated files..."
     make distclean 2>/dev/null || true
-    rm -f config.status config.h Makefile */Makefile
-    
-    # Regenerate build system
+    rm -rf build/
+
+    # Regenerate build system (root Makefile is hand-written, not generated)
     echo ""
     echo "Running autoreconf -fi..."
     autoreconf -fi 2>&1 | tee autoreconf.log
-    
-    # Configure
-    echo ""
-    echo "Running configure..."
-    ./configure --prefix=/usr/local 2>&1 | tee configure.log
-    
+
     echo ""
     echo "======================================"
     echo "Build system regenerated successfully"
     echo "======================================"
     echo ""
 else
-    # Quick/incremental build: only configure if needed
+    # Quick/incremental build: generate configure if needed
     if [ ! -f ./configure ]; then
         echo "Configure script not found. Generating..."
         if ! command -v autoreconf &> /dev/null; then
@@ -126,21 +120,13 @@ else
         fi
         autoreconf -fiv
     fi
-    
-    # Run configure if needed
-    if [ ! -f config.status ] || [ config.status -ot configure ]; then
-        echo "Configuring build..."
-        ./configure --prefix=/usr/local 2>&1 | tee configure.log
-    else
-        echo "Using existing configuration."
-    fi
 fi
 
-# Build
+# Build (all .o files go to build/ directory, binary copied to project root)
 echo ""
 echo "Compiling with $JOBS..."
 BUILD_SUCCESS=0
-make $JOBS $MAKE_ARGS 2>&1 | tee build_linux.log
+make $JOBS $MAKE_ARGS 2>&1 | tee build.log
 if [ ${PIPESTATUS[0]} -eq 0 ]; then
     BUILD_SUCCESS=1
 fi
@@ -148,10 +134,10 @@ fi
 if [ $BUILD_SUCCESS -eq 1 ]; then
     echo ""
     echo "Build completed successfully!"
-    echo "Binary: src/utun"
+    echo "Binary: utun"
 else
     echo ""
     echo "ERROR: Build failed!"
-    echo "Check build_linux.log for details"
+    echo "Check build.log for details"
     exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 1924957e..771e36aa 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -125,9 +125,7 @@ CRYPTO_LIBS = $(TINYCRYPT_OBJS)
 TINYCRYPT_BUILT = tinycrypt-objects
 endif
 
-# Register tests
-TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS)
-
+# Tests run via check-local (with timing and colored output), not TESTS
 # Build TinyCrypt objects as a group (only when not using OpenSSL)
 if USE_OPENSSL
 else
@@ -310,6 +308,7 @@ TEST_LOG_DIR = $(top_builddir)/tests/logs
 # Custom check target that runs tests and saves logs to files
 check-local:
 	@$(MKDIR_P) $(TEST_LOG_DIR); \
+	G='\033[0;32m'; R='\033[0;31m'; Y='\033[0;33m'; N='\033[0m'; \
 	passed=0; \
 	failed=0; \
 	skipped=0; \
@@ -323,12 +322,12 @@ check-local:
 			if "./$$test" > "$$logfile" 2>&1; then \
 				end=$$(date +%s%N); \
 				elapsed_ms=$$(( (end - start) / 1000000 )); \
-				echo "[PASS] $$test ($${elapsed_ms}ms)"; \
+				printf "$${G}[PASS]$${N} %s (%sms)\n" "$$test" "$$elapsed_ms"; \
 				passed=$$((passed + 1)); \
 			else \
 				end=$$(date +%s%N); \
 				elapsed_ms=$$(( (end - start) / 1000000 )); \
-				echo "[FAIL] $$test ($${elapsed_ms}ms) (see $$logfile)"; \
+				printf "$${R}[FAIL]$${N} %s (%sms) (see %s)\n" "$$test" "$$elapsed_ms" "$$logfile"; \
 				failed=$$((failed + 1)); \
 				if test -z "$$failed_tests"; then \
 					failed_tests="$$test"; \
@@ -337,7 +336,7 @@ check-local:
 				fi; \
 			fi; \
 		else \
-			echo "[SKIP] $$test (not built)"; \
+			printf "$${Y}[SKIP]$${N} %s (not built)\n" "$$test"; \
 			skipped=$$((skipped + 1)); \
 		fi; \
 	done; \