diff --git a/smmapdfw/Makefile.am b/smmapdfw/Makefile.am
index 5e7bdba..45a920d 100644
--- a/smmapdfw/Makefile.am
+++ b/smmapdfw/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 SUBDIRS = libsmmapdfw smmapd verify_worker test_worker cyrus_worker doc
-EXTRA_DIST = m4
+EXTRA_DIST = m4/*.m4
 
 
diff --git a/smmapdfw/Makefile.in b/smmapdfw/Makefile.in
index 1e198c2..ea01fc9 100644
--- a/smmapdfw/Makefile.in
+++ b/smmapdfw/Makefile.in
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ STRIP = @STRIP@
 VERSION = @VERSION@
 
 SUBDIRS = libsmmapdfw smmapd verify_worker test_worker cyrus_worker doc
-EXTRA_DIST = m4
+EXTRA_DIST = m4/*.m4
 ACLOCAL_M4 = $(top_srcdir)/aclocal.m4
 mkinstalldirs = $(SHELL) $(top_srcdir)/mkinstalldirs
 CONFIG_HEADER = config.h
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ distdir: $(DISTFILES)
 	distdir=`cd $(distdir) && pwd`; \
 	cd $(top_srcdir) \
 	  && $(AUTOMAKE) --include-deps --build-dir=$$here --srcdir-name=$(top_srcdir) --output-dir=$$top_distdir --gnu Makefile
+	$(mkinstalldirs) $(distdir)/m4
 	@for file in $(DISTFILES); do \
 	  d=$(srcdir); \
 	  if test -d $$d/$$file; then \