diff --git a/src/Makefile.global.in b/src/Makefile.global.in
index e2c8aeacd4..13755148b5 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.global.in
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ check: temp-install
 .PHONY: temp-install
 temp-install:
 ifndef NO_TEMP_INSTALL
+ifneq ($(abs_top_builddir),)
 ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 	rm -rf '$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install
 	$(MKDIR_P) '$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log
@@ -327,6 +328,7 @@ ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 endif
 	$(if $(EXTRA_INSTALL),for extra in $(EXTRA_INSTALL); do $(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)'/$$extra DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install >>'$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install/log/install.log || exit; done)
 endif
+endif
 
 PROVE = @PROVE@
 PG_PROVE_FLAGS = -I $(top_srcdir)/src/test/perl/