diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 08de3eb46a..7153c9e558 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
 # missing e.g. PDF and HTML which then pop up in `make check` footprint,
 # or misses a .prep-src-docs stage needed to pattern-make man page files
 # with some "make" implementations...
-all all-am-local all-local: doc all-recursive
+all all-am-local all-local: all-recursive
+	+@$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) doc
 	+@$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) doc
 
 # include directory for aclocal