diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 13238611..c9e1bd61 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2010-05-07  Giuseppe Scrivano  <gscrivano@gnu.org>
+
+	* Makefile.am: Copy build_info.c.in only if we are working in a VPATH.
+
 2010-05-06  Giuseppe Scrivano  <gscrivano@gnu.org>
 
 	* Makefile.am (build_info.c): Generate build_info.c in the builddir,
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 8a6148ee..c9844df0 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ MD5_LDADD = @MD5_LDADD@
 	cd ../lib && $(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS)
 
 build_info.c: $(srcdir)/Makefile.am $(srcdir)/build_info.c.in
-	cp $(srcdir)/build_info.c.in .
+	if test -n "$(VPATH)"; then cp $(srcdir)/build_info.c.in .; fi
 	$(PERL) $(top_srcdir)/build-aux/build_info.pl \
 	    $(abs_builddir)/build_info.c
-	rm -f build_info.c.in
+	if test -n "$(VPATH)"; then rm -f build_info.c.in; fi
 
 ESCAPEQUOTE = sed -e 's/[\\"]/\\&/g' -e 's/\\"/"/' -e 's/\\";$$/";/'
 version.c:  $(wget_SOURCES) ../lib/libgnu.a $(MD5_LDADD) \