diff --git a/.gnulib b/.gnulib
index e8e0eb6bfb728685ec8d5afd924e41b18e9d928d..d55899fd2c5794ac85ecb14d5e2f646a89e4b4dd 160000
--- a/.gnulib
+++ b/.gnulib
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit e8e0eb6bfb728685ec8d5afd924e41b18e9d928d
+Subproject commit d55899fd2c5794ac85ecb14d5e2f646a89e4b4dd
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 5aa1990fdefbd5c2c3afe19363e49869703ef78f..1965f64689bb8e5cff137aa3bec9357a43c74935 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ if test -z "$NOCONFIGURE" ; then
     echo "Running ./configure with $EXTRA_ARGS $@"
   else
     if test -z "$*" && test ! -f "$THEDIR/config.status"; then
-        echo "I am going to run ./configure with no arguments - if you wish "
+        echo "I am going to run ./configure with no arguments - if you wish"
         echo "to pass any to it, please specify them on the $0 command line."
     fi
   fi
diff --git a/cfg.mk b/cfg.mk
index 4601b3533dfd81ba01cbab93e28757f282d990f6..b5f1fa20d0ad7f3a0e90117a316e0c64de31e42c 100644
--- a/cfg.mk
+++ b/cfg.mk
@@ -939,6 +939,7 @@ sc_require_locale_h:
 # We don't use this feature of maint.mk.
 prev_version_file = /dev/null
 
+ifneq ($(_gl-Makefile),)
 ifeq (0,$(MAKELEVEL))
   _curr_status = .git-module-status
   # The sed filter accommodates those who check out on a commit from which
@@ -971,6 +972,7 @@ ifeq (0,$(MAKELEVEL))
 maint.mk Makefile: _autogen
   endif
 endif
+endif
 
 # It is necessary to call autogen any time gnulib changes.  Autogen
 # reruns configure, then we regenerate all Makefiles at once.
@@ -980,7 +982,9 @@ _autogen:
 	./config.status
 
 # regenerate HACKING as part of the syntax-check
+ifneq ($(_gl-Makefile),)
 syntax-check: $(top_srcdir)/HACKING bracket-spacing-check
+endif
 
 bracket-spacing-check:
 	$(AM_V_GEN)files=`$(VC_LIST) | grep '\.c$$'`; \