diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b2ac5539e..c74761628 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -110,8 +110,6 @@ endif !HAVE_READLINE
 clean-local:
 	rm -rf cache/
 
-CONFIG_STATUS_DEPENDENCIES = GUILE-VERSION
-
 gen_start_rev = 61db429e251bfd2f75cb4632972e0238056eb24b
 .PHONY: gen-ChangeLog
 gen-ChangeLog:
@@ -133,7 +131,7 @@ assert-no-store-file-names:
 	fi
 
 BUILT_SOURCES += $(top_srcdir)/.version
-$(top_srcdir)/.version:
+$(top_srcdir)/.version: Makefile
 	echo $(VERSION) > $@-t && mv $@-t $@
 gen-tarball-version:
 	echo $(VERSION) > $(distdir)/.tarball-version
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0dcb71cce..262b171f1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])], [AC_SUBST([AM_DEFAULT_VERB
 AC_COPYRIGHT(GUILE_CONFIGURE_COPYRIGHT)
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([GUILE-VERSION])
 
+AC_SUBST([CONFIG_STATUS_DEPENDENCIES], ['$(top_srcdir)/GUILE-VERSION'])
 . $srcdir/GUILE-VERSION
 GUILE_VERSION="$PACKAGE_VERSION"