diff --git a/gtk/Makefile.am b/gtk/Makefile.am
index 12877ef21d..3e0d5f837e 100644
--- a/gtk/Makefile.am
+++ b/gtk/Makefile.am
@@ -1566,7 +1566,7 @@ distclean-local:
 	if test $(srcdir) != .; then \
 	  rm -f $(MAINTAINERCLEANFILES); \
 	  rm -rf stock-icons; \
-	  rm -f extract-strings$(BUILD_EXEEXT); \
+	  rm -f extract-strings$(EXEEXT); \
 	  rm -f $(template_headers); \
 	fi
 
diff --git a/gtk/inspector/Makefile.am b/gtk/inspector/Makefile.am
index 7b1876fedb..9e14945142 100644
--- a/gtk/inspector/Makefile.am
+++ b/gtk/inspector/Makefile.am
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ templates = 				\
 
 template_headers = $(templates:.ui=.ui.h)
 
-extract_strings = $(top_builddir)/util/extract-strings$(BUILD_EXEEXT)
+extract_strings = $(top_builddir)/util/extract-strings
 
 %.ui.h : %.ui 
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(extract_strings) $< > $@
diff --git a/util/Makefile.am b/util/Makefile.am
index d0aa488f46..e8cf8fdca0 100644
--- a/util/Makefile.am
+++ b/util/Makefile.am
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@ extract_strings_cppflags =
 extract_strings_cflags = $(GLIB_CFLAGS_FOR_BUILD)
 extract_strings_ldadd = $(GLIB_LIBS_FOR_BUILD)
 
-extract-strings$(BUILD_EXEEXT): $(extract_strings_sources)
-	@rm -f extract-strings$(BUILD_EXEEXT)
+extract-strings$(EXEEXT): $(extract_strings_sources)
+	@rm -f extract-strings
 	$(AM_V_CCLD)$(CC_FOR_BUILD) $(extract_strings_cppflags) $(CPPFLAGS_FOR_BUILD) $(extract_strings_cflags) $(CFLAGS_FOR_BUILD) $^ $(LDFLAGS_FOR_BUILD) $(extract_strings_ldadd) $(LIBS_FOR_BUILD) -o $@
 
-all-local: extract-strings$(BUILD_EXEEXT)
+noinst_PROGRAMS = extract-strings
 
 -include $(top_srcdir)/git.mk