By using ':=' while setting IS_GIT it is expanded to 'yes' or 'no' at that point (and not every time when $(IS_GIT) is referenced). --- Makefile.local | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/Makefile.local b/Makefile.local index a1e9578441a4..ee3cf18f5757 100644 --- a/Makefile.local +++ b/Makefile.local @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ # repository), we let git append identification of the actual commit. PACKAGE=notmuch -IS_GIT=$(shell if [ -d ${srcdir}/.git -o -f ${srcdir}/.git ] ; then echo yes ; else echo no; fi) +IS_GIT:=$(shell if [ -d ${srcdir}/.git -o -f ${srcdir}/.git ] ; then echo yes ; else echo no; fi) ifeq ($(IS_GIT),yes) DATE:=$(shell git --git-dir=${srcdir}/.git log --date=short -1 --pretty=format:%cd) -- 2.8.2