diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 25b3eb3378..98008c528d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1241,7 +1241,12 @@ COMMIT_MSG_MAGIC = VGhpcyBpcyB0aGUgY29tbWl0LW1zZyBob29rIG9mIEd1aXg=
 	cp etc/git/commit-msg $@; \
 	fi
 
+# The etc/git/ config files are not distributed and have no use when building
+# from a tarball.  Do not add dependencies on these to *_DATA when building
+# from a tarball, as that breaks the build.
+if in_git_p
 nodist_noinst_DATA = .git/hooks/pre-push .git/config .git/hooks/commit-msg
+endif
 
 # Downloading up-to-date PO files.
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ecbd596a34..8c3a06da37 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -265,6 +265,16 @@ dnl Documentation translation.
 AM_MISSING_PROG([PO4A_TRANSLATE], [po4a-translate])
 AM_MISSING_PROG([PO4A_UPDATEPO], [po4a-updatepo])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([if building from git])
+if test -e .git; then
+   in_git_p=yes
+else
+   in_git_p=no
+fi
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$in_git_p])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([in_git_p],
+  [test "x$in_git_p" = "xyes"])
+
 case "$storedir" in
   /gnu/store)
     ;;