diff --git a/graphics/text/.gitignore b/graphics/text/.gitignore
index bc992ee20..f56980324 100644
--- a/graphics/text/.gitignore
+++ b/graphics/text/.gitignore
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ helpoverlay.png
 helpttl.gif
 prboom.gif
 graphics.stamp
+textgen.mk
 credit.gif
 credtext*.png
 freettl.gif
diff --git a/graphics/text/Makefile b/graphics/text/Makefile
index 627f9b041..6433808d7 100644
--- a/graphics/text/Makefile
+++ b/graphics/text/Makefile
@@ -52,24 +52,27 @@ TEXTGEN_GRAPHIC_LUMPS = \
 TEXTGEN_GRAPHICS = $(TEXTGEN_GRAPHIC_LUMPS)                                \
   helpttl.gif  freettl.gif
 
-all: $(TEXTGEN_GRAPHICS) help.gif credit.gif wikilrs.gif wivctms.gif
+all: graphics.stamp help.gif credit.gif wikilrs.gif wivctms.gif
 
 # textgen creates multiple outputs, which is awkward to express in
 # make. Use a witness file (graphics.stamp) as suggested in the
 # automake manual: "Handling Tools that Produce Many Outputs"
 
-$(TEXTGEN_GRAPHICS): graphics.stamp
-	@if test -f $@; then :; else \
-	  rm -f graphics.stamp; \
-	  $(MAKE) data.stamp; \
-	fi
+graphics.stamp: textgen.mk $(TEXTGEN_GRAPHICS)
 	cp $(TEXTGEN_GRAPHIC_LUMPS) ../
+	@touch $@
 
-graphics.stamp: config.py fontchars ../../lumps/dehacked.lmp
-	@rm -f graphics.tmp
-	@touch graphics.tmp
-	./textgen
-	@mv graphics.tmp $@
+# Construct a file of Make directives for each text graphic.
+# Each graphic depends on the directives file, so we tell textgen
+# what its name is, as a command line parameter. The directives
+# file depends on textgen's input (config, font, dehacked).
+
+textgen.mk: config.py fontchars ../../lumps/dehacked.lmp
+	./textgen $@ > $@
+
+# Then, include the file of Make directives constructed above.
+
+include textgen.mk
 
 # Generate transparent image containing text for the HELP screen:
 helptext.png: helpttl.gif
@@ -172,7 +175,7 @@ wivctms.gif:
 
 clean:
 	rm -f $(TEXTGEN_GRAPHICS) helpbg.png help.gif helptext.png	\
-	    helptext2.png graphics.stamp *.pyc credtext.png		\
+	    helptext2.png graphics.stamp textgen.mk *.pyc credtext.png	\
 	    credtext2.png credit.gif dmwilv*.gif wikilrs.gif		\
 	    wivctms.gif wikilrs_horiz.png ../credit.gif ../help.gif	\
 	    ../wikilrs.gif ../wivctms.gif
diff --git a/graphics/text/textgen b/graphics/text/textgen
index 36bd0dc1a..a08dcdf48 100755
--- a/graphics/text/textgen
+++ b/graphics/text/textgen
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class Font(object):
 
 	def get_command(self, text, output_filename,
 	                color=COLOR_WHITE, bgcolor=BACKGROUND_COLOR):
-		"""Get command line to render text to a file
+		"""Get command to render text to a file
 		   with the given background color.
 		"""
 
@@ -159,9 +159,12 @@ class Font(object):
 def generate_graphics(graphics, color=COLOR_WHITE, bgcolor=BACKGROUND_COLOR):
 	for name, text in sorted(graphics.items()):
 		print("# %s.gif: '%s'" % (name, text))
-		cmd = font.get_command(text, '%s.gif' % name,
+		# write a makefile fragment
+		target = '%s.gif' % name
+		cmd = font.get_command(text, target,
 		                       color=color, bgcolor=bgcolor)
-		invoke_command(cmd)
+		print("%s: %s" % (target, " ".join(sys.argv[1:])))
+		print("\t" + " ".join("'%s'" % i for i in cmd))
 
 def generate_kerning_test():
 	pairs = []