diff --git a/doc/ref/Makefile.am b/doc/ref/Makefile.am
index d534351dd..368b82321 100644
--- a/doc/ref/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/ref/Makefile.am
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/am/pre-inst-guile
 
 autoconf.texi: autoconf-macros.texi
 autoconf-macros.texi: $(top_srcdir)/meta/guile.m4
-	$(preinstguiletool)/snarf-guile-m4-docs $(top_srcdir)/meta/guile.m4 \
+	$(top_builddir)/meta/uninstalled-env guile-tools \
+	  snarf-guile-m4-docs $(top_srcdir)/meta/guile.m4 \
 	  > $(srcdir)/$@
 
 lib-version.texi: $(top_srcdir)/GUILE-VERSION