diff --git a/fact/GNUmakefile b/fact/GNUmakefile
index 13d48f3..11c1633 100644
--- a/fact/GNUmakefile
+++ b/fact/GNUmakefile
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 include GNUmakevars
 
 CONFDIR=../../configure
+CONFDIR_exists=$(shell [ -d $(CONFDIR) ] && echo ok)
 
 all: configure fact
 
@@ -20,9 +21,13 @@ install: $(BINDIR) $(BINDIR)/fact
 customize: configure
 	sh ./configure
 
+ifeq ($(CONFDIR_exists),ok)
+
 configure: $(CONFDIR)/start $(CONFDIR)/perl $(CONFDIR)/finish
 	cat $^ > $@
 
+endif
+
 $(BINDIR):
 	mkdir -p $@