diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f10e60f8c51..f4240ac94f0 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -31,11 +31,15 @@ CLEANFILES =		linked_client_sources linked_server_sources
 # This is just so that the linking is done early.
 config.h:	linked_client_sources linked_server_sources
 
-linked_client_sources:
-	cd libmysql; $(MAKE) link_sources
-	cd libmysql_r; $(MAKE) link_sources
+linked_client_sources:  @linked_client_targets@
 	echo timestamp > linked_client_sources
 
+linked_libmysql_sources:
+	cd libmysql; $(MAKE) link_sources
+
+linked_libmysql_r_sources: linked_libmysql_sources
+	cd libmysql_r; $(MAKE) link_sources
+
 #avoid recursive make calls in sql directory
 linked_server_sources:
 	cd sql; rm -f mini_client_errors.c;@LN_CP_F@ ../libmysql/errmsg.c mini_client_errors.c
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index a65580c9699..5a9d79f3ae1 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1757,14 +1757,17 @@ server_scripts=
 dnl This probably should be cleaned up more - for now the threaded
 dnl client is just using plain-old libs.
 sql_client_dirs="libmysql client"
+linked_client_targets="linked_libmysql_sources"
 CLIENT_LIBS=$NON_THREADED_CLIENT_LIBS
 if test "$THREAD_SAFE_CLIENT" != "no"
 then
   sql_client_dirs="libmysql_r $sql_client_dirs"
+  linked_client_targets="$linked_client_targets linked_libmysql_r_sources"
   AC_DEFINE(THREAD_SAFE_CLIENT)
 fi
 AC_SUBST(CLIENT_LIBS)
 AC_SUBST(sql_client_dirs)
+AC_SUBST(linked_client_targets)
 
 if test "$with_server" = "yes"
 then