diff --git a/tests/conform/Makefile.am b/tests/conform/Makefile.am
index 303663958..1e723e7e8 100644
--- a/tests/conform/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/conform/Makefile.am
@@ -89,9 +89,11 @@ test_conformance_SOURCES = $(common_sources) $(units_sources)
 
 wrappers: stamp-test-conformance
 	@true
-stamp-test-conformance: Makefile test-conformance$(EXEEXT)
+stamp-test-conformance: Makefile $(srcdir)/test-conform-main.c
 	@mkdir -p wrappers
-	@( $(abs_builddir)/test-conformance$(EXEEXT) -l -m thorough | $(GREP) '^/' ) > unit-tests
+	@sed -n -e 's/^ \{1,\}TEST_CONFORM_SIMPLE *(.*"\([^",]\{1,\}\)", *\([a-zA-Z0-9_]\{1,\}\).*/\/conform\1\/\2/p' \
+	-e 's/^ \{1,\}TEST_CONFORM_SKIP *(.*"\([^",]\{1,\}\)", *\([a-zA-Z0-9_]\{1,\}\).*/\/conform\1\/\2/p' \
+	$(srcdir)/test-conform-main.c > unit-tests
 	@chmod +x test-launcher.sh
 	@( echo "/stamp-test-conformance" ; \
 	   echo "/test-conformance" ; \
diff --git a/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c b/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c
index a8b3cf880..2ae7a0449 100644
--- a/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c
+++ b/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
   clutter_test_init (&argc, &argv);
 
+  /* This file is run through a sed script during the make step so the
+     lines containing the tests need to be formatted on a single line
+     each. To comment out a test use the SKIP or TODO macros. Using
+     #if 0 would break the script. */
+
   TEST_CONFORM_SIMPLE ("/timeline", test_timeline);
   TEST_CONFORM_SKIP (!g_test_slow (), "/timeline", test_timeline_interpolate);
   TEST_CONFORM_SKIP (!g_test_slow (), "/timeline", test_timeline_rewind);