diff --git a/Makefile.lib b/Makefile.lib
index dfde57c8..a35c721c 100644
--- a/Makefile.lib
+++ b/Makefile.lib
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ ifneq ($(findstring cleanall,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
 INCLUDE_ALL=1
 endif
 
-ifneq ($(findstring list,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+ifneq ($(findstring init,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+# FIXME: Detect when $(subdir)/Makefile is $(srcdir)/$(subdir)/Makefile
+# and error out so the user won't overwrite the 'master' Makefiles.
 INCLUDE_ALL=1
 endif
 
@@ -103,8 +105,10 @@ CLEAN += $(PROG)
 
 all-default: $(LIB_O) $(PROGS) $(MAN1) $(MAN5)
 
-list-default:
-	@echo '$(RELPATH)Makefile'
+init-default:
+	@$(foreach subdir,$(sort $(SUBDIRS)), \
+		$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(subdir) >/dev/null; \
+		echo 'include $(SRC)/$(RELPATH)/$(subdir)/Makefile' > $(subdir)/Makefile;)
 
 clean-default:
 	-test -z "$(CLEAN)" || $(RM) $(CLEAN)
@@ -130,9 +134,9 @@ endif
 
 # Recursion:
 
-.PHONY: all-recursive install-recursive clean-recursive cleanall-recursive list-recursive
+.PHONY: all-recursive install-recursive clean-recursive cleanall-recursive init-recursive
 
-all-recursive install-recursive clean-recursive cleanall-recursive list-recursive:
+all-recursive install-recursive clean-recursive cleanall-recursive init-recursive:
 ifdef SUBDIRS
 	@$(foreach subdir,$(sort $(SUBDIRS)), \
 		$(call ncmd,recmake,$(subdir),$(subst -recursive,,$@)) || exit 1;)
@@ -143,7 +147,7 @@ install: install-recursive install-default install-local
 clean: clean-recursive clean-default clean-local
 
 cleanall: cleanall-recursive cleanall-default
-list: list-recursive list-default
+init: init-default init-recursive
 
 all-local:
 install-local:
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 813f2296..cad84d8c 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1268,13 +1268,8 @@ AC_OUTPUT([ \
 abs_srcdir="$(cd "$srcdir" && pwd)"
 # builddir is always absolute!
 if test "$abs_srcdir" != "$builddir"; then
-	MAKEFILES=$("$MAKE" -C "$abs_srcdir" list | grep Makefile)
-
-	for i in $MAKEFILES; do
-		echo "creating $i"
-		$MKINSTALLDIRS "$builddir/$(dirname $i)" >/dev/null
-		echo "include $abs_srcdir/$i" > "$builddir/$i"
-	done
+	echo "include $abs_srcdir/Makefile" > "$builddir/Makefile"
+	"$MAKE" "SRC=$abs_srcdir" init
 fi