diff --git a/test/Makefile.in b/test/Makefile.in
index 20505432e31..127f1cebbd7 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.in
+++ b/test/Makefile.in
@@ -262,6 +262,8 @@ define subdir_template
     $(patsubst %,check-%,$(subst /,-,$(wildcard $(1)/*-tests)))
 	@${MAKE} check LOGFILES="$(patsubst %.el,%.log, \
 		$(patsubst $(srcdir)/%,%,$(wildcard ${srcdir}/$(1)/*.el)))"
+  .PHONY: $(1)
+  $(1): check-$(subst /,-,$(1))
 endef
 
 $(foreach subdir, $(SUBDIRS), $(eval $(call subdir_template,$(subdir))))
diff --git a/test/README b/test/README
index a4ddccae742..f86aca58cc1 100644
--- a/test/README
+++ b/test/README
@@ -49,9 +49,12 @@ following targets:
 * make check-all
   Like "make check", but run all tests.
 
-* make check-<dirname>
+* make <dirname>
   Like "make check", but run only the tests in test/<dirname>/*.el and
-  test/<dirname>/*-tests/*.el.  <dirname> is a relative directory path,
+  test/<dirname>/*-tests/*.el.
+
+* make check-<dirname>
+  Like "make <dirname>", but <dirname> is a relative directory path,
   which has replaced "/" by "-", like in "check-src" or "check-lisp-net".
 
 * make <filename>  -or-  make <filename>.log