diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index faaaec64..619392d3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ all:
 subdirs = compat completion emacs lib
 
 # We make all targets depend on the Makefiles themselves.
-global_deps = Makefile Makefile.local \
+global_deps = Makefile Makefile.config Makefile.local \
 	$(subdirs:%=%/Makefile) $(subdirs:%=%/Makefile.local)
 
 # Sub-directory Makefile.local fragments can append to these variables
@@ -15,6 +15,19 @@ global_deps = Makefile Makefile.local \
 extra_cflags :=
 extra_cxxflags :=
 
+# Get settings from the output of configure by running it to generate
+# Makefile.config if it doesn't exist yet. And add Makefile.config to
+# our global dependency list.
+include Makefile.config
+Makefile.config: configure
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Note: Calling ./configure with no command-line arguments. This is often fine,"
+	@echo "      but if you want to specify any arguments (such as an alternate prefix"
+	@echo "      into which to install), call ./configure explicitly and then make again."
+	@echo "      See \"./configure --help\" for more details."
+	@echo ""
+	./configure
+
 # Finally, include all of the Makefile.local fragments where all the
 # real work is done.
 
diff --git a/Makefile.local b/Makefile.local
index fbff9497..5da54242 100644
--- a/Makefile.local
+++ b/Makefile.local
@@ -19,20 +19,6 @@ TAR_FILE=$(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION).tar.gz
 SHA1_FILE=$(TAR_FILE).sha1
 GPG_FILE=$(SHA1_FILE).asc
 
-# Get settings from the output of configure by running it to generate
-# Makefile.config if it doesn't exist yet. And add Makefile.config to
-# our global dependency list.
-include Makefile.config
-global_deps += Makefile.config
-Makefile.config: configure
-	@echo ""
-	@echo "Note: Calling ./configure with no command-line arguments. This is often fine,"
-	@echo "      but if you want to specify any arguments (such as an alternate prefix"
-	@echo "      into which to install), call ./configure explicitly and then make again."
-	@echo "      See \"./configure --help\" for more details."
-	@echo ""
-	./configure
-
 # Smash together user's values with our extra values
 FINAL_CFLAGS = -DNOTMUCH_VERSION=$(VERSION) $(CFLAGS) $(WARN_CFLAGS) $(CONFIGURE_CFLAGS) $(extra_cflags)
 FINAL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(WARN_CXXFLAGS) $(CONFIGURE_CXXFLAGS) $(extra_cflags) $(extra_cxxflags)