diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index cf7480702..305c12826 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ SED = @SED@
 ERL = @ERL@
 EPMD = @EPMD@
 IEX = @IEX@
+EMACS = @EMACS@
 
 INSTALLUSER=@INSTALLUSER@
 INSTALLGROUP=@INSTALLGROUP@
@@ -266,11 +267,15 @@ _build/edoc/logo.png: edoc_compile
 #' format / indent
 #
 
+.SILENT: format indent
+
+FORMAT_LOG=/tmp/ejabberd-format.log
+
 format:
-	tools/rebar3-format.sh $(REBAR3)
+	tools/rebar3-format.sh $(FORMAT_LOG) $(REBAR3)
 
 indent:
-	tools/emacs-indent.sh
+	tools/emacs-indent.sh $(FORMAT_LOG) $(EMACS)
 
 #.
 #' copy-files
@@ -714,7 +719,7 @@ help:
 	@echo "  translations   Extract translation files"
 	@echo "  TAGS           Generate tags file for text editors"
 	@echo ""
-	@echo "  format         Format source code using rebar3_format"
+	@echo "  format         Format source code using efmt [rebar3]"
 	@echo "  indent         Indent source code using erlang-mode [emacs]"
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "  dialyzer       Run Dialyzer static analyzer"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b91595dc5..d3b549ea2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ AC_PATH_PROG([ESCRIPT], [escript], [], [$ERLANG_ROOT_DIR/bin])
 #locating make
 AC_CHECK_PROG([MAKE], [make], [make], [])
 
+AC_PATH_TOOL(EMACS, emacs, , [${extra_erl_path}$PATH])
+
 if test "x$ESCRIPT" = "x"; then
    AC_MSG_ERROR(['escript' was not found])
 fi
diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index e3d42edce..a35b3bf0f 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
                                                {branch, "consolidation_fix"}}}
                        }]}}.
 {if_rebar3, {project_plugins, [configure_deps,
-                               {if_var_true, tools, rebar3_format},
+                               {if_var_true, tools, rebar3_efmt},
                                {if_var_true, tools, {rebar3_lint, "4.1.1"}}
                               ]}}.
 {if_not_rebar3, {plugins, [
diff --git a/tools/emacs-indent.sh b/tools/emacs-indent.sh
index f3caecf4c..73d84470d 100755
--- a/tools/emacs-indent.sh
+++ b/tools/emacs-indent.sh
@@ -1,18 +1,29 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/bin/sh
 
 # To indent and remove tabs, surround the piece of code with:
 #   %% @indent-begin
 #   %% @indent-end
 #
+# Install Emacs and erlang-mode. For example in Debian:
+#   apt-get install emacs erlang-mode
+#
 # Then run:
 #   make indent
 #
-# Please note this script only indents the first occurrence.
+# Please note this script only indents the first occurrence per file
 
-FILES=$(git grep --name-only @indent-begin src/)
+FILES=$(git grep --name-only @indent-begin include/ src/)
+LOG=${1:-/tmp/ejabberd-format.log}
+EMACS=${2:-emacs}
+
+if [ ! "$EMACS" ] || [ ! -x "$EMACS" ]
+then
+   echo "==> Cannot indent source code because Emacs is not installed"
+   exit 1
+fi
 
 for FILENAME in $FILES; do
-    echo "==> Indenting $FILENAME..."
+    echo "==> Indenting $FILENAME..." >>$LOG
     emacs -batch $FILENAME \
        -f "erlang-mode" \
         --eval "(goto-char (point-min))" \
@@ -23,5 +34,13 @@ for FILENAME in $FILES; do
         --eval "(erlang-indent-region begin end)" \
         --eval "(untabify begin end)" \
        -f "delete-trailing-whitespace" \
-       -f "save-buffer"
+       -f "save-buffer" >>$LOG 2>&1
 done
+
+grep -q 'Error' $LOG \
+    && cat $LOG
+grep -q 'Error: void-function (erlang-mode)' $LOG \
+    && echo \
+    && echo "==> Maybe you need to install erlang-mode system package" \
+    && exit 1
+rm $LOG
diff --git a/tools/rebar3-format.sh b/tools/rebar3-format.sh
index 2181b6870..2126f0a57 100755
--- a/tools/rebar3-format.sh
+++ b/tools/rebar3-format.sh
@@ -1,41 +1,16 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/bin/sh
 
-# To start formatting a file, add a line that contains:
-#   @format-begin
-# Formatting in that file can later be disabled adding another line with:
-#   @format-end
-#
-# It can be reenabled again later in the file.
-#
-# Finally, call: make format
+# To format the source code, simply run:
+#   make format
 
-REBAR=$1
+LOG=${1:-/tmp/ejabberd-format.log}
+REBAR3=${2:-rebar3}
 
-FORMAT()
-{
-FPATH=$1
-ERLS=$(git grep --name-only @format-begin "$FPATH"/)
+$REBAR3 efmt -w --parallel >$LOG 2>&1
 
-for ERL in $ERLS; do
-    perl -n -e 'sub o { open(OUT, ">", sprintf("%s-format-%02d", $f, $n++));}; BEGIN{($f)=@ARGV;o()}; o() if /\@format-/; print OUT $_;' $ERL
-done
-
-EFMTS=$(find "$FPATH"/*-format-* -type f -exec grep --files-with-matches "@format-begin" '{}' ';')
-EFMTS2=""
-for EFMT in $EFMTS; do
-    EFMTS2="$EFMTS2 --files $EFMT"
-done
-$REBAR format $EFMTS2
-
-for ERL in $ERLS; do
-    SPLITS=$(find $ERL-format-* -type f)
-    rm $ERL
-    for SPLIT in $SPLITS; do
-         cat $SPLIT >> $ERL
-         rm $SPLIT
-    done
-done
-}
-
-FORMAT src
-FORMAT test
+if ! grep -q 'All files were formatted correctly' $LOG
+then
+    cat $LOG
+    exit 1
+fi
+rm $LOG