diff --git a/mk/rules.mk b/mk/rules.mk
index 3026bdb4fae395792cd6f840ec26fb3d3091a057..46b4c7862d5a7e72dc64e7f50716b0028ad8a302 100644
--- a/mk/rules.mk
+++ b/mk/rules.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# $Id: rules.mk,v 1.2 1996/11/21 16:50:38 simonm Exp $
+# $Id: rules.mk,v 1.3 1997/01/21 10:55:01 sof Exp $
 
 # This file defines the default suffix rules.  It replaces suffixes.jm in the
 # jmake system.
@@ -290,6 +290,12 @@ ifdef SuffixRule_o_hi
 	    exit 1; \
 	else exit 0 ; \
 	fi							
+%.$(suffix)_hi : %.$(suffix)_o
+	@if [ ! -f $@ ] ; then \
+	    echo You need to create an initial $@ by hand ; \
+	    exit 1; \
+	else exit 0 ; \
+	fi							
 endif
 
 ifdef SuffixRule_hc_hi