diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c5eca7a9d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# The PostgreSQL make files exploit features of GNU make that other
+# makes do not have. Because it is a common mistake for users to try
+# to build Postgres with a different make, we have this make file
+# that, as a service, will look for a GNU make and invoke it, or show
+# an error message if none could be found.
+
+# If the user were using GNU make now, this file would not get used
+# because GNU make uses a make file named "GNUmakefile" in preference
+# to "Makefile" if it exists. PostgreSQL is shipped with a
+# "GNUmakefile". If the user hasn't run the configure script yet, the
+# GNUmakefile won't exist yet, so we catch that case as well.
+
+
+all install clean dep depend distclean maintainer-clean:
+	@if ! [ -f GNUmakefile ] ; then \
+	   echo "You need to run the \`configure' program first. See the file"; \
+	   echo "\`INSTALL' for installation instructions." ; \
+	   false ; \
+	 fi
+	@IFS=':' ; \
+	 for dir in $$PATH; do \
+	   for prog in gmake gnumake make; do \
+	     if [ -f $$dir/$$prog ] && ( $$dir/$$prog --version | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then \
+	       GMAKE=$$dir/$$prog; \
+	       break 2; \
+	     fi; \
+	   done; \
+	 done; \
+	\
+	 if [ x"$${GMAKE+set}" = xset ]; then \
+	   echo "Using GNU make found at $${GMAKE}"; \
+	   $${GMAKE} $@ ; \
+	 else \
+	   echo "You must use GNU make to build PostgreSQL." ; \
+	   false; \
+	 fi
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 8fbbcbdac2..c5eca7a9d2 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -1,16 +1,36 @@
-# The Postgres make files exploit features of GNU make that other makes
-# do not have.  Because it is a common mistake for users to try to build
-# Postgres with a different make, we have this make file that does nothing
-# but tell the user to use GNU make.
+# The PostgreSQL make files exploit features of GNU make that other
+# makes do not have. Because it is a common mistake for users to try
+# to build Postgres with a different make, we have this make file
+# that, as a service, will look for a GNU make and invoke it, or show
+# an error message if none could be found.
 
-# If the user were using GNU make now, this file would not get used because
-# GNU make uses a make file named "GNUmakefile" in preference to "Makefile"
-# if it exists.  Postgres is shipped with a "GNUmakefile".
+# If the user were using GNU make now, this file would not get used
+# because GNU make uses a make file named "GNUmakefile" in preference
+# to "Makefile" if it exists. PostgreSQL is shipped with a
+# "GNUmakefile". If the user hasn't run the configure script yet, the
+# GNUmakefile won't exist yet, so we catch that case as well.
 
-all install clean dep depend distclean:
-	@echo "You must use GNU make to use Postgres.  It may be installed"
-	@echo "on your system with the name 'gmake'."
-	@echo
-	@echo "NOTE:  If you are sure that you are using GNU make and you are"
-	@echo "       still getting this message, you may simply need to run"
-	@echo "       the configure program."
+
+all install clean dep depend distclean maintainer-clean:
+	@if ! [ -f GNUmakefile ] ; then \
+	   echo "You need to run the \`configure' program first. See the file"; \
+	   echo "\`INSTALL' for installation instructions." ; \
+	   false ; \
+	 fi
+	@IFS=':' ; \
+	 for dir in $$PATH; do \
+	   for prog in gmake gnumake make; do \
+	     if [ -f $$dir/$$prog ] && ( $$dir/$$prog --version | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then \
+	       GMAKE=$$dir/$$prog; \
+	       break 2; \
+	     fi; \
+	   done; \
+	 done; \
+	\
+	 if [ x"$${GMAKE+set}" = xset ]; then \
+	   echo "Using GNU make found at $${GMAKE}"; \
+	   $${GMAKE} $@ ; \
+	 else \
+	   echo "You must use GNU make to build PostgreSQL." ; \
+	   false; \
+	 fi