diff --git a/caca/Makefile.am b/caca/Makefile.am
index 1eda95e..e62f5e3 100644
--- a/caca/Makefile.am
+++ b/caca/Makefile.am
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ driver_source = \
 
 install-exec-local:
 	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
-	. libcaca.la; \
+	. ./libcaca.la || exit 1; \
 	for x in $$library_names; do \
 	  ln -sf $$x $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/$$(echo $$x | sed 's/caca/cucul/g'); \
 	done
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ install-data-local:
 	ln -sf caca.h $(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/cucul.h
 
 uninstall-local:
-	. libcaca.la; \
+	. ./libcaca.la || exit 1; \
 	for x in $$library_names; do \
 	  rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/$$(echo $$x | sed 's/caca/cucul/g'); \
 	done
diff --git a/cxx/Makefile.am b/cxx/Makefile.am
index fcd6f7a..551fe39 100644
--- a/cxx/Makefile.am
+++ b/cxx/Makefile.am
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ cxxtest_LDADD = libcaca++.la ../caca/libcaca.la
 if USE_CXX
 install-exec-local:
 	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
-	. libcaca++.la; \
+	. ./libcaca++.la || exit 1; \
 	for x in $$library_names; do \
 	  ln -sf $$x $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/$$(echo $$x | sed 's/caca/cucul/g'); \
 	done
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ install-data-local:
 endif
 
 uninstall-local:
-	. libcaca++.la; \
+	. ./libcaca++.la || exit 1; \
 	for x in $$library_names; do \
 	  rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/$$(echo $$x | sed 's/caca/cucul/g'); \
 	done