diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f4a3caa0ea05f12f082124351123d191762d97e7..fae2bf07b82d9e48d7652156196252b1beb44295 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# $Id: Makefile,v 1.19 1999/11/08 23:27:32 mast Exp $
+# $Id: Makefile,v 1.20 1999/11/09 07:06:44 mast Exp $
 #
 # Meta Makefile
 #
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ configure: src/configure builddir
 compile: configure
 	@builddir="$(BUILDDIR)"; \
 	metatarget="$(METATARGET)"; \
-	test -x "$$builddir"/pike || metatarget="all $$metatarget"; \
+	test -f "$$builddir"/master.pike -a -x "$$builddir"/pike || \
+          metatarget="all $$metatarget"; \
+	test "x$$metatarget" = x && metatarget=all; \
 	cd "$$builddir" && for target in $$metatarget; do \
 	  echo Making $$target in "$$builddir"; \
 	  rm -f remake; \