diff --git a/build/autotools/Makefile.am.gitignore b/build/autotools/Makefile.am.gitignore
index 3fc374328..26fe561b0 100644
--- a/build/autotools/Makefile.am.gitignore
+++ b/build/autotools/Makefile.am.gitignore
@@ -7,15 +7,18 @@ $(srcdir)/.gitignore: Makefile.am
 	$(QUIET_GEN)( \
 	  echo "*.o" ; \
 	  echo ".gitignore" ; \
-	) > .gitignore ; \
+	) > $(srcdir)/.gitignore ; \
 	for p in $(noinst_PROGRAMS); do \
-		echo "/$$p" >> .gitignore ; \
+		echo "/$$p" >> $(srcdir)/.gitignore ; \
 	done
 
 gitignore: $(srcdir)/.gitignore
 
-.PHONY: gitignore
+gitignore-clean:
+	$(QUIET_RM)rm -f $(srcdir)/.gitignore
 
-DISTCLEANFILES += $(srcdir)/.gitignore
+.PHONY: gitignore gitignore-clean
 
 all: gitignore
+
+maintainer-clean: gitignore-clean
diff --git a/doc/cookbook/examples/Makefile.am b/doc/cookbook/examples/Makefile.am
index e00b238ba..d80a7da2c 100644
--- a/doc/cookbook/examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/cookbook/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -41,6 +41,4 @@ layouts_stacking_SOURCES                   = layouts-stacking.c
 layouts_stacking_diff_sized_actors_SOURCES = layouts-stacking-diff-sized-actors.c
 events_mouse_scroll_SOURCES                = events-mouse-scroll.c
 
-DISTCLEANFILES =
-
 -include $(top_srcdir)/build/autotools/Makefile.am.gitignore
diff --git a/tests/conform/Makefile.am b/tests/conform/Makefile.am
index 23c4a077f..8b4c7a1a1 100644
--- a/tests/conform/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/conform/Makefile.am
@@ -244,6 +244,8 @@ HTML_REPORTS = \
 EXTRA_DIST = ADDING_NEW_TESTS test-launcher.sh.in run-tests.sh
 DISTCLEANFILES = test-launcher.sh
 
+MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = .gitignore
+
 # we override the clean-generic target to clean up the wrappers so
 # we cannot use CLEANFILES
 clean-generic: clean-wrappers
diff --git a/tests/interactive/Makefile.am b/tests/interactive/Makefile.am
index 8379111d4..96b66c1bf 100644
--- a/tests/interactive/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/interactive/Makefile.am
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ test_interactive_LDADD = $(CLUTTER_LIBS) $(common_ldadd)
 EXTRA_DIST = wrapper.sh.in
 DISTCLEANFILES = wrapper.sh
 
+MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = .gitignore
+
 BUILT_SOURCES = wrappers
 
 clean-local: clean-wrappers
diff --git a/tests/micro-bench/Makefile.am b/tests/micro-bench/Makefile.am
index fe4cad902..309f2443a 100644
--- a/tests/micro-bench/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/micro-bench/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 include $(top_srcdir)/build/autotools/Makefile.am.silent
 
-DISTCLEANFILES =
-
 noinst_PROGRAMS = \
 	test-text \
 	test-picking \