diff --git a/tests/interactive/Makefile.am b/tests/interactive/Makefile.am
index 753d9f47c..381d1e969 100644
--- a/tests/interactive/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/interactive/Makefile.am
@@ -70,15 +70,17 @@ endif
 wrappers: stamp-test-interactive
 	@true
 
-stamp-test-interactive: Makefile
-	@wrapper=$(abs_builddir)/wrapper.sh ; \
-	chmod +x $$wrapper && \
-	( echo "/stamp-test-interactive" ; \
+gen-gitignore: Makefile
+	@(echo "/stamp-test-interactive" ; \
 	  echo "/stamp-test-unit-names" ; \
 	  echo "/test-interactive" ; \
 	  echo "/test-unit-names.h" ; \
 	  echo "*.o" ; \
-	  echo ".gitignore" ) > .gitignore ; \
+	  echo ".gitignore" ) > .gitignore
+
+stamp-test-interactive: Makefile
+	@wrapper=$(abs_builddir)/wrapper.sh ; \
+	chmod +x $$wrapper && \
 	for i in $(UNIT_TESTS); \
 	do \
 		test_bin=$${i%*.c} ; \
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ $(top_builddir)/build/win32/test-unit-names.h: test-unit-names.h
 test-unit-names.h: stamp-test-unit-names
 	@true
 
-stamp-test-unit-names: Makefile
+stamp-test-unit-names: Makefile gen-gitignore
 	@( echo "/* ** This file is autogenerated. Do not edit. ** */" ; \
 	  echo "" ; \
 	  echo "const char *test_unit_names[] = {" ) > test-unit-names.h ; \