diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 290fdfee..3546e5c8 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 ##
 
-SUBDIRS = doc
+SUBDIRS = doc progtest
 
 path_src  = src
 path_test = test
@@ -35,13 +35,9 @@ export SAXON_CP
 
 .PHONY: check test texis applies FORCE
 
-.DEFAULT_GOAL := all
+.DEFAULT_GOAL = all-nodoc
 
-all: applies progtest
-
-test: check
-check: | applies
-	$(path_test)/runner
+all-nodoc: applies progtest
 
 # the "applies" are hoxsl-generated stylesheets containing definitions to
 # permit partial function application
@@ -51,6 +47,10 @@ applies: $(apply_dest)
 	    -xsl:"$(HOXSL)/src/transform/apply-gen.xsl" \
 	    "$<" > "$@"
 
+test: check
+check: | applies
+	$(path_test)/runner
+
 progtest: FORCE
 	$(MAKE) -C progtest
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9eef5273..a8db59ff 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ 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])
+
 # provide more granular version numbers based on the version string, using
 # the format MAJOR.MINOR.REV[-SUFFIX], where SUFFIX can itself contain
 # dashes (and often will)
diff --git a/progtest/Makefile b/progtest/Makefile
index 72dbfa43..1365ed26 100644
--- a/progtest/Makefile
+++ b/progtest/Makefile
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ nsindex=$(addsuffix /index.js, $(namespaces))
 
 .DEFAULT_GOAL: all
 
+# used be parent Makefile to prevent doc/ building `all'
+all-nodoc: all
 all: tame-progtest.js
 
 test: check