diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f83fb4f..90f9f83 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ log:
 	   git log --date=iso --log-size --name-only | \
 	     perl -e '$(LOG_PL)' > ChangeLog )
 
+if in_source_build
 deb:
 	CFLAGS="-O2 -mcpu=i686" fakeroot debian/rules binary
 
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ distdir distclean: deb-clean
 
 dist-hook:
 	find $(distdir)/debian \( -name .git -o -name .gitignore -o -name .#\*# -o -type l \) -print0 | xargs -0r rm -rf
+endif
 
 dist-sign: dist
 	gpg -b -a $(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION).tar.gz
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 6462a05..7ff9efc 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ if test "x$ob_cv_enable_compat" != xno; then
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(with_compat, test "x$ob_cv_enable_compat" != xno)
 
+AM_CONDITIONAL(in_source_build, test "x$srcdir" = x.)
+
 AC_OUTPUT(Makefile src/Makefile src/compat/Makefile isync.spec)
 
 if test -n "$have_ssl_paths"; then