diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 7c5f8e34..0a81bbff 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ AM_YFLAGS = -d
 AM_CFLAGS = @MORE_CFLAGS@
 
 bin_PROGRAMS =
-man_MANS =
+dist_man_MANS =
 TESTS =
 noinst_PROGRAMS =
 
@@ -70,19 +70,6 @@ distclean-local:
 	-rm -rf results
 
 if BUILD_MAN
-.xml.1:
-	$(XMLTO) -o $(@D) man $<
-.xml.7:
-	$(XMLTO) -o $(@D) man $<
-else
-.xml.1:
-	@echo "Not rebuilding man page from $<"
-	cp `test -f $*.1 || echo '$(srcdir)/'`$*.1 $@
-.xml.7:
-	@echo "Not rebuilding man page from $<"
-	cp `test -f $*.7 || echo '$(srcdir)/'`$*.7 $@
+MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = $(dist_man_MANS)
 endif
 
-BUILT_SOURCES += $(man_MANS)
-DISTCLEANFILES += $(man_MANS)
-EXTRA_DIST += $(man_MANS)
diff --git a/frontends/yasm/Makefile.inc b/frontends/yasm/Makefile.inc
index 8a6aa201..54311363 100644
--- a/frontends/yasm/Makefile.inc
+++ b/frontends/yasm/Makefile.inc
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 # $Id$
 
 bin_PROGRAMS += yasm
-man_MANS += frontends/yasm/yasm.1
+dist_man_MANS += yasm.1
+
+if BUILD_MAN
+yasm.1: frontends/yasm/yasm.xml
+	$(XMLTO) -o $(top_builddir) man $(srcdir)/frontends/yasm/yasm.xml
+endif
 
 yasm_SOURCES  = frontends/yasm/yasm.c
 yasm_SOURCES += frontends/yasm/yasm-options.c
diff --git a/modules/arch/Makefile.inc b/modules/arch/Makefile.inc
index 11f28502..1a9f9055 100644
--- a/modules/arch/Makefile.inc
+++ b/modules/arch/Makefile.inc
@@ -6,5 +6,11 @@ EXTRA_DIST += modules/arch/lc3b/Makefile.inc
 include modules/arch/x86/Makefile.inc
 include modules/arch/lc3b/Makefile.inc
 
-man_MANS += modules/arch/yasm_arch.7
+dist_man_MANS += yasm_arch.7
+
+if BUILD_MAN
+yasm_arch.7: modules/arch/yasm_arch.xml
+	$(XMLTO) -o $(top_builddir) man $(srcdir)/modules/arch/yasm_arch.xml
+endif
+
 EXTRA_DIST += modules/arch/yasm_arch.xml