diff --git a/lisp/Makefile.in b/lisp/Makefile.in
index fc05d39d2a6..f0a66aafb5a 100644
--- a/lisp/Makefile.in
+++ b/lisp/Makefile.in
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ org-manuals: main-first
 # The real dependencies of loaddefs.el aren't known to Make, they are
 # implemented in loaddefs-generate--emacs-batch, so autoloads is an
 # "all" dependency.
-autoloads:
+autoloads: $(lisp)/emacs-lisp/loaddefs-gen.elc
 	$(AM_V_GEN)$(emacs) \
             -l $(lisp)/emacs-lisp/loaddefs-gen.elc \
 	    -f loaddefs-generate--emacs-batch ${SUBDIRS_ALMOST}