diff --git a/doc/doxygen/Makefile.am b/doc/doxygen/Makefile.am
index 2c828aafa3a2fe8ebdcaebebeaf6b9f2923dc606..52116824e7073a56426dd1be3c55c8bf20044d30 100644
--- a/doc/doxygen/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/doxygen/Makefile.am
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ html-dist: $(DOXYGENHEADERBUILD)
 	  echo Running doxygen. This may take a while... ; \
 	  $(DOXYGEN) Doxyfile.tmp > doxygen.log 2>&1 <&- ; \
 	  rm -f Doxyfile.tmp; \
-	fi; \
-	mv html html-dist
+	fi
+	if test -d html; then rm -rf html-dist; mv html html-dist; fi
 
 # how to install the doxygen documentation
 doxygen-install:
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ FORCE:
 include $(top_srcdir)/am/webstuff
 
 clean-local:
-	rm -rf html html-dist latex *~
+	if test -e Doxydep; then rm -rf html html-dist; fi
+	rm -rf latex *~
 
 CLEANFILES = $(WHAT) $(DOXYGENTAG) $(DOXYGENHEADER)