diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 08d92fe3..703616ad 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ top_builddir=.
 SUBDIRS = doc src
 SUBDIRS-$(CONFIG_NLS) += po
 CLEAN	= features.log
+calltest = $1-$1
 
 all-recursive: config.h
 
@@ -49,6 +50,16 @@ $(top_srcdir)/stamp-h.in: $(top_srcdir)/configure.in $(ACLOCAL_M4)
 	@echo timestamp > $(top_srcdir)/stamp-h.in 2> /dev/null
 
 
+# Makefile.lib heavily uses $(call ...), which was added in GNU Make 3.78.
+# An elinks-users post on 2007-12-04 reported trouble with GNU Make 3.68.
+# Detect this situation and give an error message.  $(MAKECMDGOALS) is
+# only defined by 3.76 and later, so specify the "all" target as well.
+# This check has been tested with GNU Make 3.68, 3.77, 3.78.1, and 3.81.
+ifneq ($(call calltest,ok),ok-ok)
+$(MAKECMDGOALS) default all:
+	@echo >&2 "You need GNU Make 3.78 or later"
+	@false
+else
 ifeq ($(wildcard Makefile.config),)
 # Catch all
 $(MAKECMDGOALS) default:
@@ -56,3 +67,4 @@ $(MAKECMDGOALS) default:
 else
 include $(top_srcdir)/Makefile.lib
 endif
+endif
diff --git a/doc/installation.txt b/doc/installation.txt
index 95c7da03..8c9d7073 100644
--- a/doc/installation.txt
+++ b/doc/installation.txt
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@ required or recommended that you install.
 Requirements
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-To successfully install ELinks all that is required is GNU make and a C
-compiler. If you want to install directly from GIT it is also required that
-automake and autoconf is installed on your system.
+To successfully install ELinks all that is required is GNU make
+(version 3.78 or later) and a C compiler. If you want to install
+directly from GIT it is also required that automake and autoconf
+is installed on your system.
 
 Recommended Libraries and Programs
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~