diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 392e0df8452d982c23a042657223b3f1dcc20391..92fdd012d4b51f0da0af2d6d00a49dc2bf5e7c78 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1459,8 +1459,8 @@ host_libs='-lm'
 
 target_path='$(CURDIR)'
 
-# gcc stupidly only outputs the basename of targets with -MM, but we need the
-# full relative path for objects in subdirectories for non-recursive Make.
+# since the object filename is not given with the -MM flag, the compiler
+# is only able to print the basename, and we must add the path ourselves
 DEPEND_CMD='$(DEPCC) $(DEPFLAGS) $< | sed -e "/^\#.*/d" -e "s,^[[:space:]]*$(*F)\\.o,$(@D)/$(*F).o," > $(@:.o=.d)'
 DEPFLAGS='$(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -MM'