diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 3aa78ab251..8fa2e11d0c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I ./config
 EXTRA_DIST = \
         README VERSION COPYING AUTHORS \
         config/hwloc_get_version.sh \
-        config/distscript.sh
+        config/distscript.sh config/distscript_embedded.sh \
+        autogen.sh
 
 SUBDIRS = include hwloc
 
@@ -27,6 +28,10 @@ SUBDIRS += utils tests contrib/systemd contrib/misc
 # We need doc/ if HWLOC_BUILD_DOXYGEN, or during make install if HWLOC_INSTALL_DOXYGEN.
 # There's no INSTALL_SUBDIRS, so always enter doc/ and check HWLOC_BUILD/INSTALL_DOXYGEN there
 SUBDIRS += doc
+else
+EXTRA_DIST += utils/netloc/infiniband/netloc_ib_gather_raw.in
+dist-hook:
+	sh "$(top_srcdir)/config/distscript_embedded.sh" "$(top_srcdir)" "$(distdir)" "$(HWLOC_VERSION)"
 endif
 
 # Do not let automake automatically add the non-standalone dirs to the
diff --git a/config/distscript_embedded.sh b/config/distscript_embedded.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..b97147d15b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/distscript_embedded.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+chmod u+w $2
+makefiles="$2/doc/Makefile.am $2/doc/examples/Makefile.am $2/doc/doxygen-config.cfg.in $2/utils/Makefile.am $2/utils/hwloc/Makefile.am $2/utils/lstopo/Makefile.am $2/utils/netloc/infiniband/Makefile.am $2/utils/netloc/draw/Makefile.am $2/utils/netloc/mpi/Makefile.am $2/tests/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/linux/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/linux/allowed/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/linux/gather/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/x86/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/xml/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/ports/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/rename/Makefile.am $2/tests/hwloc/linux/allowed/test-topology.sh.in $2/tests/hwloc/linux/gather/test-gather-topology.sh.in $2/tests/hwloc/linux/test-topology.sh.in $2/tests/hwloc/x86/test-topology.sh.in $2/tests/hwloc/xml/test-topology.sh.in $2/tests/hwloc/wrapper.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/hwloc-compress-dir.in $2/utils/hwloc/hwloc-gather-topology.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-annotate.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-calc.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-compress-dir.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-diffpatch.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-distrib.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-info.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-fake-plugin.sh.in $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-dump-hwdata/Makefile.am $2/utils/hwloc/test-hwloc-dump-hwdata/test-hwloc-dump-hwdata.sh.in $2/utils/lstopo/test-lstopo.sh.in $2/contrib/systemd/Makefile.am $2/contrib/misc/Makefile.am $2/tests/netloc/Makefile.am $2/tests/netloc/tests.sh.in $2/utils/lstopo/lstopo-windows.c"
+rm -f $makefiles
+for i in $makefiles; do
+    [ -d $(dirname $i) ] || mkdir -p $(dirname $i)
+    cat > $i << EOF
+# This is a dummy file that is not needed in embedded mode,
+# but sadly, automake *requires* it
+EOF
+done
+