diff --git a/leim/Makefile.noleim b/leim/Makefile.noleim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..776a1ecb642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/leim/Makefile.noleim
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# This placeholder appears in the `leim' subdirectory in the Emacs
+# distribution.  It is is overwritten with a real makefile
+# when you actually extract LEIM into the directory.
+all install:
+
+# Avoid error when these targets are used.
+clean distclean mostlyclean maintainer-clean: