diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fd5dbd464..617b82ea8 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ build-aux/ltsugar.m4
 build-aux/ltversion.m4
 build-aux/lt~obsolete.m4
 build-aux/missing
-build-aux/list-dist-files.sh
+build-aux/list-distfiles.sh
 tests/regressions.pl
 
 # Other autojunk
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 78ae8bbac..93cba93b2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -34,14 +34,16 @@ export DISABLEDSRCS ?= $(filter $(_DISABLEDSRCS),$(_TESTSRCS))
 TESTSRCS ?= $(filter-out $(DISABLEDSRCS),$(_TESTSRCS))
 TESTPREVIEWS ?= $(addsuffix .pdf,$(basename $(filter-out $(_DISABLEDSRCS),$(_TESTPREVIEWS))))
 
-# Since we can't use $(wildcard ...) in automake file lists, we generate a file
-# with a script that builds our dynamic file lists instead. This is tricky,
-# because if we just include the file automake will flatten this include. By
-# using $(wildcard ...) to include it (the very function we couldn't use because
-# of the race condition it creates) we actually keep it from being flattened and
-# hence evaluated when we want it to be. Since the file always exists (see
-# BUILT_SOURCES) this doesn't induce a race.
-include $(wildcard Makefile-distfiles)
+# Since we can't use $(wildcard ...) while defining file lists automake, we
+# generate a file with a script that builds our dynamic file lists ahead of
+# time and stores them in a variable. Using an include here is tricky, because
+# if we just include the file directly automake will flatten it. By using
+# $(wildcard ...) to include it (the very function we couldn't use where we
+# wanted to in the first place) we keep the include from being flattened and
+# hence evaluated where we want it to be. Otherwise the flattening gets the
+# variables set in all the wrong order. Since the file will be generated by
+# a make (see BUILT_SOURCES) before make dist the source will exist in time.
+include $(wildcard $(top_srcdir)/Makefile-distfiles)
 
 FIGURES = documentation/fig-input-to-output.pdf
 MANUAL := documentation/sile.pdf
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ dist_doc_DATA = README.md CHANGELOG.md
 dist_pdf_DATA = $(_MANUAL)
 dist_license_DATA = LICENSE.md
 EXTRA_DIST = spec tests documentation sile-dev-1.rockspec fontconfig.conf
-EXTRA_DIST += build-aux/action-updater.js build-aux/cargo-updater.js build-aux/config.ld build-aux/decore-automake.sh build-aux/git-version-gen build-aux/list-dist-files.sh
+EXTRA_DIST += build-aux/action-updater.js build-aux/cargo-updater.js build-aux/config.ld build-aux/decore-automake.sh build-aux/git-version-gen
 EXTRA_DIST += Dockerfile build-aux/docker-bootstrap.sh build-aux/docker-fontconfig.conf hooks/build
 EXTRA_DIST += default.nix flake.nix flake.lock shell.nix build-aux/pkg.nix
 EXTRA_DIST += package.json # imported by both Nix and Docker
@@ -106,7 +108,7 @@ export DOCKER_TAG ?= HEAD
 include $(top_srcdir)/aminclude.am
 
 Makefile-distfiles: $(wildcard .version .tarball-version) | $(LUAMODLOCK)
-	$(SHELL) build-aux/list-dist-files.sh > $@
+	$(SHELL) build-aux/list-distfiles.sh > $@
 
 if EMBEDDED_RESOURCES
 _EMBEDDED_SOURCES = src/embed.rs src/embed-includes.rs
@@ -183,6 +185,8 @@ CLEAN ?=
 
 dist: sile-$(VERSION).pdf sile-$(VERSION).md
 
+dist-local: $(BUILT_SOURCES)
+
 sile-$(VERSION).pdf: $(MANUAL)
 	$(INSTALL) $(MANUAL) $@
 
diff --git a/build-aux/list-dist-files.sh.in b/build-aux/list-distfiles.sh.in
similarity index 97%
rename from build-aux/list-dist-files.sh.in
rename to build-aux/list-distfiles.sh.in
index 14a7c7541..91a3758c6 100755
--- a/build-aux/list-dist-files.sh.in
+++ b/build-aux/list-distfiles.sh.in
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ alias sort="${SORT:-@SORT@}"
 alias xargs="${XARGS:-@XARGS@}"
 
 finder () {
-    test -d "$1" || return 1
+    test -d "$1" || return 0
     find "$@" -type f | am_list
 }
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 15a8685d4..9dac41974 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ AC_SUBST([ROCKREV], [1])
 
 QUE_SUBST_MAN_DATE
 
-AC_CONFIG_FILES([build-aux/list-dist-files.sh], [chmod +x build-aux/list-dist-files.sh])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([build-aux/list-distfiles.sh], [chmod +x build-aux/list-distfiles.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile justenough/Makefile sile-lua.1 core/features.lua core/pathsetup.lua core/version.lua])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([sile-lua:sile.in], [chmod +x sile-lua])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([tests/regressions.pl], [chmod +x tests/regressions.pl])