diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 243f1229..e668fc96 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 2004-08-29  Gary V. Vaughan  <gary@gnu.org>
 
+	* Makefile.am (dist-hook): Only run if README-alpha exists.
+	* README.alpha: Renamed from README-alpha to stop automake from
+	automatically adding it to DIST_COMMON.
+
 	* NEWS: Merge changes from branch-1-5.
 
 	* Makefile.am (dist-hook): Always distribute just a README file,
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 73dbb9d8..34bab35a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -147,9 +147,10 @@ install-data-hook:
 	chmod +x $(DESTDIR)$(pkgdatadir)/config.guess
 	chmod +x $(DESTDIR)$(pkgdatadir)/config.sub
 
+## Ship README.alpha only in alpha release, but renamed to README
 dist-hook:
-## Ship README-alpha only in alpha release, but renamed to README
-	@case $(VERSION) in \
-	  *[a-z]) mv $(distdir)/README-alpha $(distdir)/README ;; \
-	  *)	  rm -f $(distdir)/README-alpha ;; \
+	-@test -f $(distdir)/README.alpha && \
+	case $(VERSION) in \
+	  *[a-z]) mv $(distdir)/README.alpha $(distdir)/README ;; \
+	  *)	  rm -f $(distdir)/README.alpha ;; \
 	esac
diff --git a/README-alpha b/README.alpha
similarity index 100%
rename from README-alpha
rename to README.alpha