diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 5519b3b..423af03 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
     included in the build/installation targets of flex since it was
     unused.
 
+*** the distributed man page is only rebuilt when the relevant source
+    files change or when the binary doesn't exist. In particular, this
+    is friendlier to cross compilation. Resolves #108
+
 * version 2.6.2 released 2016-10-24
 
 ** flex internals
diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am
index 882843c..7ad39c7 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 help2man = @HELP2MAN@
 
+FLEX = $(top_builddir)/src/flex$(EXEEXT)
+
 info_TEXINFOS =	flex.texi
 dist_man_MANS = flex.1
 DISTCLEANFILES = flex.1
@@ -23,8 +25,8 @@
 	flex.vr \
 	flex.vrs
 
-flex.1: ../src/flex$(EXEEXT)
+flex.1: $(top_srcdir)/configure.ac $(top_srcdir)/src/flex.skl $(top_srcdir)/src/options.c $(top_srcdir)/src/options.h | $(FLEX)
 	$(help2man) --name='$(PACKAGE_NAME)' --section=1 \
 	--source='The Flex Project' --manual='Programming' \
-	--output=$@ $< \
+	--output=$@ $(FLEX) \
 	|| rm -f $@