diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 0cf30e63..526e196b 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ SUBDIRS =					\
 	shared					\
 	src					\
 	clients					\
-	protocol				\
 	tests					\
 	man
 
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ weston.ini : $(srcdir)/weston.ini.in
 		-e 's|@libexecdir[@]|$(libexecdir)|g' \
 		$< > $@
 
-all-local : weston.ini
+all-local : weston.ini validate-protocol-xml
 
 CLEANFILES = weston.ini $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 
@@ -128,5 +127,32 @@ BUILT_SOURCES +=				\
 	xwayland/xserver-server-protocol.h
 endif
 
+
+protocol_sources =				\
+	protocol/desktop-shell.xml		\
+	protocol/screenshooter.xml		\
+	protocol/xserver.xml			\
+	protocol/text.xml			\
+	protocol/input-method.xml		\
+	protocol/workspaces.xml			\
+	protocol/text-cursor-position.xml	\
+	protocol/wayland-test.xml		\
+	protocol/xdg-shell.xml			\
+	protocol/scaler.xml
+
+if HAVE_XMLLINT
+.PHONY : validate-protocol-xml
+
+.%.xml.valid : $(top_srcdir)/protocol/%.xml
+	$(AM_V_GEN)$(XMLLINT) --noout --dtdvalid $(dtddir)/wayland.dtd $^ > $@
+
+validate-protocol-xml : $(protocol_sources:protocol/%.xml=.%.xml.valid)
+
+CLEANFILES += $(protocol_sources:protocol/%.xml=.%.xml.valid)
+EXTRA_DIST += $(protocol_sources)
+
+endif
+
+
 wayland_protocoldir = $(top_srcdir)/protocol
 include $(top_srcdir)/wayland-scanner.mk
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 57b8519e..5691c850 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -490,7 +490,6 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
 		 src/version.h
 		 src/weston.pc
 		 clients/Makefile
-		 protocol/Makefile
 		 man/Makefile
 		 tests/Makefile])
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/protocol/Makefile.am b/protocol/Makefile.am
deleted file mode 100644
index 5e331a74..00000000
--- a/protocol/Makefile.am
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-protocol_sources =				\
-	desktop-shell.xml			\
-	screenshooter.xml			\
-	xserver.xml				\
-	text.xml				\
-	input-method.xml			\
-	workspaces.xml				\
-	text-cursor-position.xml		\
-	wayland-test.xml			\
-	xdg-shell.xml				\
-	scaler.xml
-
-if HAVE_XMLLINT
-.PHONY: validate
-
-.%.xml.valid: %.xml
-	$(AM_V_GEN)$(XMLLINT) --noout --dtdvalid $(dtddir)/wayland.dtd $^ > $@
-
-validate: $(protocol_sources:%.xml=.%.xml.valid)
-
-all-local: validate
-
-CLEANFILES= $(protocol_sources:%.xml=.%.xml.valid)
-EXTRA_DIST=$(protocol_sources)
-
-endif