diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 79eb53a..c03650d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -18,20 +18,22 @@
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	m4/ChangeLog \
 	bootstrap.sh \
-	README LICENSE \
+	LICENSE \
 	intltool-merge.in \
 	intltool-update.in \
 	intltool-extract.in
 
 SUBDIRS=src doc po
 
-MAINTAINERCLEANFILES=README
+if USE_LYNX
+EXTRA_DIST += README
+MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = README
 noinst_DATA = README
 
 README:
-	rm -f README
 	$(MAKE) -C doc README
-	cd $(srcdir) && ln -s doc/README README
+	ln -sf doc/README $(builddir)
+endif
 
 homepage: all dist
 	test -d $$HOME/homepage/private
diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am
index d4b50be..df81fdf 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -17,16 +17,18 @@
 # <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 dist_html_DATA = README.html style.css
-dist_doc_DATA = README
 EXTRA_DIST = README.html.in
 
-MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = README README.html
+MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = README.html
 CLEANFILES =
 
 if USE_LYNX
+dist_doc_DATA = README
+
 README: README.html
 	lynx --dump $^ | sed 's,file://localhost/.*/doc/README.html,README,' > $@
 
+MAINTAINERCLEANFILES += README
 CLEANFILES += README
 endif