--- a/docs/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/Makefile.am
@@ -1,15 +1,13 @@
 
 SOURCES = index.dox channel.dox component.dox
 
-docdir = $(datadir)/doc
-pkgdocdir = $(docdir)/$(PACKAGE)
 #pkghtmldir = $(pkgdocdir)/html
 
 
 # have both html and html/index.html to force build of index.html if necessary
 EXTRA_DIST = latex/refman.pdf html html/index.html $(SOURCES)
 
-pkgdoc_DATA = \
+pdf_DATA = \
     latex/refman.pdf
 
 #pkghtml_DATA = \
@@ -17,22 +15,21 @@
 
 if BUILD_DOCS
 latex/refman.pdf: html/index.html
-	-cd latex && make
+	$(MAKE) -C latex
 
 html/index.html: ../Doxyfile $(SOURCES)
-	-rm -rf html
-	-cd .. && @DOXYGEN@ Doxyfile
+	rm -rf html && $(DOXYGEN) Doxyfile
 
 clean-local:
-	-rm -rf html
-	-rm -rf latex
+	rm -rf html
+	rm -rf latex
 endif
 
 all-local: html/index.html
 
-install-data-local: all-local
-	-echo installing to ${DESTDIR}${pkgdocdir}/html
-	/bin/sh ../mkinstalldirs ${DESTDIR}${pkgdocdir}/html
-	install html/* ${DESTDIR}${pkgdocdir}/html
+install-data-hook: all-local
+	-echo installing to $(DESTDIR)$(htmldir)
+	/bin/sh ../mkinstalldirs $(DESTDIR)$(htmldir)
+	install html/* $(DESTDIR)$(htmldir)
 
 
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -10,6 +10,3 @@
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = librlog.pc
 
-documentation:
-	cd docs && make
-