diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e07d9bae..7ade14a6 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export DSLC_CLASSPATH
 
 all: applies progtest
 all-nodoc: applies progtest
+bin-local: applies
 
 # the "applies" are hoxsl-generated stylesheets containing definitions to
 # permit partial function application
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2daff6ff..92ff6cc1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@ m4_if(ver, [], [m4_exit(1)])
 AC_INIT([tame], [ver], [dev@lovullo.com])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([tools])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign])
-
-# target that should be be added to everything except doc/
-AM_EXTRA_RECURSIVE_TARGETS([all-nodoc])
+AM_EXTRA_RECURSIVE_TARGETS([bin all-nodoc])
 
 # provide more granular version numbers based on the version string, using
 # the format MAJOR.MINOR.REV[-SUFFIX], where SUFFIX can itself contain
diff --git a/progtest/Makefile.am b/progtest/Makefile.am
index ffb1b0e9..30b58df0 100644
--- a/progtest/Makefile.am
+++ b/progtest/Makefile.am
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 #  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-.PHONY: check test modindex dist browserify FORCE
+.PHONY: bin check test modindex dist browserify FORCE
 
 namespaces=$(shell find src/ -type d)
 nsindex=$(addsuffix /index.js, $(namespaces))
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ nsindex=$(addsuffix /index.js, $(namespaces))
 # used be parent Makefile to prevent doc/ building `all'
 all-nodoc: all
 all: tame-progtest.js
+bin: all
 
 modindex: $(nsindex)
 %/index.js: FORCE
diff --git a/src/current/src/Makefile b/src/current/src/Makefile
index 792810bd..c1ba1844 100644
--- a/src/current/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/current/src/Makefile
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 dslc_src := $(wildcard com/lovullo/dslc/*.java)
 dslc_bin := $(dslc_src:.java=.class)
 
-.PHONY: all all-nodoc dslc clean check info pdf html
+.PHONY: all bin all-nodoc dslc clean check info pdf html
 
 export CLASSPATH=$(DSLC_CLASSPATH)
 
 all: dslc
 dslc: dslc.jar
+bin: dslc
 
 %.class: %.java
 	javac $<