diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9de6247a98c771b415137bd968217e88eee96b3d..413a260901a0736dd5fe80aac25dacbf7af04328 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 TOP=.
 include $(TOP)/mk/boilerplate.mk
-SRC_DIST_DIR=$(shell pwd)/$(SRC_DIST_NAME)
 
 #
 # Totally evil hack to make the setting of SUBDIRS be dependent
@@ -21,11 +20,12 @@ ifneq "$(Project)" ""
    include $(shell echo $(Project) | tr A-Z a-z)/mk/config.mk
 endif
 
-#
-# Files to include in fptools source distribution
-#
-SRC_DIST_DIRS += mk docs distrib $(ProjectsToBuild)
-SRC_DIST_FILES += configure.in config.guess config.sub configure aclocal.m4 acconfig.h README INSTALL Makefile install-sh
+project-check :
+	@if [ "$(Project)" = "" ]; then \
+		echo "	You need to set \"Project\" in order to make $(CURRENT_TARGET)"; \
+		echo "	eg. make $(CURRENT_TARGET) Project=Ghc"; \
+		exit 1; \
+	fi
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Make sure configure is up-to-date
@@ -41,7 +41,29 @@ configure :: configure.in
 # Making a binary distribution
 #
 # To make a particular binary distribution: 
-# set $(Project) to the name of the project (currently Ghc or Happy).
+# set $(Project) to the name of the project, capitalised (eg. Ghc or Happy).
+
+# `dist' `binary-dist'
+#      Create a distribution tar file for this program. The tar file
+#      should be set up so that the file names in the tar file start with
+#      a subdirectory name which is the name of the package it is a
+#      distribution for. This name can include the version number.
+#
+#      For example, the distribution tar file of GCC version 1.40 unpacks
+#      into a subdirectory named `gcc-1.40'.
+# 
+#      The easiest way to do this is to create a subdirectory
+#      appropriately named, use ln or cp to install the proper files in
+#      it, and then tar that subdirectory.
+# 
+#      The dist target should explicitly depend on all non-source files
+#      that are in the distribution, to make sure they are up to date in
+#      the distribution. See Making Releases.
+#
+#	binary-dist is an FPtools addition for binary distributions
+# 
+
+binary-dist :: project-check
 
 BIN_DIST_TMPDIR=$(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS)
 BIN_DIST_NAME=$(ProjectNameShort)-$(ProjectVersion)
@@ -201,8 +223,64 @@ binary-dist::
 	@echo "Mechanical and super-natty! Inspect the result and *if* happy; freeze, sell and get some sleep!"
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Building source distributions
+#
+# Do it like this: 
+#
+#	$ make boot
+#	$ make dist Project=Ghc
+
+.PHONY: dist
+
+#
+# Directory in which we're going to build the src dist
+#
+SRC_DIST_DIR=$(shell pwd)/$(SRC_DIST_NAME)
+
+#
+# Files to include in source distributions
+#
+SRC_DIST_DIRS += docs distrib $(ProjectsToBuild)
+SRC_DIST_FILES += \
+	configure.in config.guess config.sub configure \
+	aclocal.m4 acconfig.h README Makefile install-sh \
+	mk/boilerplate.mk mk/config.h.in mk/config.mk.in mk/opts.mk \
+	mk/paths.mk mk/suffix.mk mk/target.mk
+
+dist dist-manifest dist-package :: project-check
+
+# clean the tree first, leaving certain extra files in place (eg. configure)
+dist :: distclean
+
+dist ::
+	-rm -rf $(SRC_DIST_DIR)
+	-rm -f $(SRC_DIST_NAME).tar.gz
+	mkdir $(SRC_DIST_DIR)
+	mkdir $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/mk
+	( cd $(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS); $(FIND) $(SRC_DIST_DIRS) -type d \( -name CVS -prune -o -name SRC -prune -o -name tests -prune -o -exec mkdir $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/{} \; \) ; )
+	( cd $(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS); $(FIND) $(SRC_DIST_DIRS) $(SRC_DIST_FILES) -name CVS -prune -o -name SRC -prune -o -name tests -prune -o -name "*~" -prune -o -name ".cvsignore" -prune -o -name "\#*" -prune -o -name ".\#*" -prune -o -name "log" -prune -o -name "*-SAVE" -prune -o -name "*.orig" -prune -o -name "*.rej" -prune -o ! -type d -exec $(LN_S) $(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS)/{} $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/{} \; )
+
+# Automatic generation of a MANIFEST file for a source distribution
+# tree that is ready to go.
+dist-manifest ::
+	cd $(SRC_DIST_DIR); $(FIND) . \( -type l -o -type f \) -exec ls -lLG {} \; | sed -e 's/\.\///' > /tmp/MANIFEST ; mv /tmp/MANIFEST MANIFEST
+
+dist-package :: dist-package-tar-gz
+
+SRC_DIST_PATHS = $(patsubst %, $(SRC_DIST_NAME)/%, $(SRC_DIST_FILES) $(SRC_DIST_DIRS))
+
+dist-package-tar-gz ::
+	$(TAR) chzf $(SRC_DIST_NAME)-src.tar.gz $(SRC_DIST_NAME)
+
+dist-package-zip ::
+	cd ..; $(LN_S) $(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS) $(SRC_DIST_NAME) && \
+	       $(ZIP) $(ZIP_OPTS) -r $(SRC_DIST_NAME)-src.zip $(SRC_DIST_PATHS)
+
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+DIST_CLEAN_FILES += config.cache config.status
+
+MAINTAINER_CLEAN_FILES += configure
 
-dist :: dist-pre
 include $(TOP)/mk/target.mk
-dist :: dist-post
 
diff --git a/mk/target.mk b/mk/target.mk
index 49f5d32aad1eceb7ee612ce1572c8af860ff2470..45ee5dd8f888600540593557a6cbcd81f2f5da3f 100644
--- a/mk/target.mk
+++ b/mk/target.mk
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 #	clean* distclean* mostlyclean* maintainer-clean*
 #	tags*
 #	dvi ps (no info) FPTOOLS adds: pdf rtf html
-#	dist binary-dist
 #	check
 #
 # 3. Some of the above targets have a version that
@@ -100,40 +99,8 @@ all docs runtests boot TAGS clean distclean mostlyclean maintainer-clean install
 	@echo "PWD = $(shell pwd)"
 	@echo "------------------------------------------------------------------------"
 
-dist ::
-# Don't rely on -e working, instead we check exit return codes from sub-makes.
-	@case '${MFLAGS}' in *-[ik]*) x_on_err=0;; *-r*[ik]*) x_on_err=0;; *) x_on_err=1;; esac; \
-	for i in $(SUBDIRS) ; do \
-	  $(MKDIRHIER_PREFIX)mkdirhier $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/$$i; \
-	  $(MAKE) -C $$i $(MFLAGS) $@ SRC_DIST_DIR=$(SRC_DIST_DIR)/$$i; \
-	  if [ $$? -eq 0 ] ;  then true; else exit $$x_on_err; fi; \
-	done
-endif
-
-# The default dist rule:
-#
-# copy/link the contents of $(SRC_DIST_FILES) into the
-# shadow distribution tree. SRC_DIST_FILES contain the
-# build-generated files that you want to include in
-# a source distribution.
-#
-#
-ifneq "$(SRC_DIST_FILES)" ""
-dist::
-	@for i in $(SRC_DIST_FILES); do 		 \
-	  if ( echo "$$i" | grep "~" >/dev/null 2>&1 ); then	 \
-	    echo $(LN_S) `pwd`/`echo $$i | sed -e "s/^\([^~]*\)~.*/\1/g"` $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/`echo $$i | sed -e "s/.*~\(.*\)/\1/g"` ; \
-	    $(LN_S) `pwd`/`echo $$i | sed -e "s/^\([^~]*\)~.*/\1/g"` $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/`echo $$i | sed -e "s/.*~\(.*\)/\1/g"` ; \
-	  else \
-	    if (test -f "$$i"); then 			   \
-	      echo $(LN_S) `pwd`/$$i $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/$$i ; \
-	      $(LN_S) `pwd`/$$i $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/$$i ;	   \
-	     fi;					   \
-	  fi; \
-	done;
 endif
 
-
 #
 # Selectively building subdirectories.
 #
@@ -269,25 +236,6 @@ boot :: depend
 #      supported everywhere, but the intention is to standardise on DocBook
 #      producing all formats.
 #
-# `dist' `binary-dist'
-#      Create a distribution tar file for this program. The tar file
-#      should be set up so that the file names in the tar file start with
-#      a subdirectory name which is the name of the package it is a
-#      distribution for. This name can include the version number.
-#
-#      For example, the distribution tar file of GCC version 1.40 unpacks
-#      into a subdirectory named `gcc-1.40'.
-# 
-#      The easiest way to do this is to create a subdirectory
-#      appropriately named, use ln or cp to install the proper files in
-#      it, and then tar that subdirectory.
-# 
-#      The dist target should explicitly depend on all non-source files
-#      that are in the distribution, to make sure they are up to date in
-#      the distribution. See Making Releases.
-#
-#	binary-dist is an FPtools addition for binary distributions
-# 
 # `check'
 #      Perform self-tests (if any). The user must build the program
 #      before running the tests, but need not install the program; you
@@ -825,85 +773,6 @@ install ::
 
 endif
 
-###########################################
-#
-#	Targets: dist binary-dist
-#
-###########################################
-
-
-#
-# dist-pre is a canned rule the toplevel of your source tree
-# would use as follows, 
-#
-#  dist :: dist-pre
-#
-# it performs two tasks, first creating the distribution directory
-# tree and it then decorates the new tree with symbolic links pointing
-# to the symbolic links in the build tree.
-#
-# The dist-pre relies on (at least) the `find' in GNU findutils
-# (only tested with version 4.1). All non-GNU `find's I have
-# laid on my hands locally, has a restrictive treatment of {} in
-# -exec commands, i.e.,
-#
-#   find . -print echo a{} \;
-#   
-# does not expand the {}, it has to be a separate argument (i.e. `a {}').
-# GNU find is (IMHO) more sensible here, expanding any {} it comes across
-# inside an -exec, whether it is a separate arg or part of a word:
-#
-#  $ touch yes
-#  $ find --version
-#    GNU find version 4.1
-#  $ find yes -exec echo oh,{}! \;
-#    oh,yes!
-#
-# Of course, the above is not impossible to achieve with other finds,
-# just that GNU find does the Patently Right Thing here :)
-#
-# ====> if you're using these dist rules, get hold of GNU findutils.
-#
-#  --SOF 2/97
-#
-.PHONY: dist dist-pre dist-post
-
-#
-# The dist rules leaves out CVS, SRC (from mkshadowdir) and tests
-# directories when creating shadow source distrib tree
-#
-dist-pre::
-	-rm -rf $(SRC_DIST_DIR)
-	-rm -f $(SRC_DIST_NAME).tar.gz
-	(cd $(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS); $(FIND) $(SRC_DIST_DIRS) -type d \( -name CVS -prune -o -name SRC -prune -o -name tests -prune -o -exec $(MKDIRHIER) $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/{} \; \) ; )
-	(cd $(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS); $(FIND) $(SRC_DIST_DIRS) -name CVS -prune -o -name SRC -prune -o -name tests -prune -o -name "*~" -prune -o -name ".cvsignore" -prune -o -name "\#*" -prune -o -name ".\#*" -prune -o -type l -exec $(LN_S) $(FPTOOLS_TOP_ABS)/{} $(SRC_DIST_DIR)/{} \; )
-
-#
-# After having created a shadow distribution tree and copied/linked
-# all the necessary files to it, `dist-post' makes sure the permissions
-# are set right and then package up the tree. Empty directories are also removed.
-#
-# For now, we make the packaging a separate rule, so as to allow
-# the inspection of the dist tree before eventually packaging it up.
-#
-dist-post::
-	@echo Deleting the following empty directories..
-	( cd $(SRC_DIST_DIR) ; cd .. ; $(FIND) $(SRC_DIST_NAME) -type d -exec sh -c 'test x`ls $$0 | wc -l | sed -e "s/ //g"` = x0' {} \; -print -exec rm -rf {} \; -prune )
-	( cd $(SRC_DIST_DIR) ; cd .. ; chmod -R a+rw $(SRC_DIST_NAME) ) 
-
-# Automatic generation of a MANIFEST file for a source distribution
-# tree that is ready to go.
-dist-manifest ::
-	cd $(SRC_DIST_DIR); $(FIND) . \( -type l -o -type f \) -exec ls -lLG {} \; | sed -e 's/\.\///' > /tmp/MANIFEST ; mv /tmp/MANIFEST MANIFEST
-
-dist-package:: dist-package-tar-gz
-
-dist-package-tar-gz ::
-	cd $(SRC_DIST_DIR); cd ..; $(TAR) chzf $(SRC_DIST_NAME).tar.gz $(SRC_DIST_NAME)
-
-dist-package-zip ::
-	cd $(SRC_DIST_DIR); cd ..; $(ZIP) $(ZIP_OPTS) -r $(SRC_DIST_NAME).zip $(SRC_DIST_NAME)
-
 ###########################################
 #
 #	Targets: check tags show