diff --git a/tools/make-dist.sh b/tools/make-dist.sh
index 5f42912d559a1e10ac4f7bc5074ca5e153b205d3..11b5fe5a30ac83287d248452b65fca71a8d11b13 100755
--- a/tools/make-dist.sh
+++ b/tools/make-dist.sh
@@ -123,9 +123,10 @@ if [ -z "$ENABLE_GZIP" -a -z "$ENABLE_BZIP" ]; then
 fi
 
 OPTIONS="${GROUP:+ -G ${GROUP}} ${OWNER:+ -O ${OWNER}} ${INSTALL_DIR:+ -I ${INSTALL_DIR}} $ENABLE_GZIP $ENABLE_BZIP"
+MANDIR="${MANDIR:+ -M ${MANDIR}}"
 
 echo Creating distribution for $ARCH $OS
-$ROOT/make-main-dist.sh $OPTIONS ${MANDIR:+ -M ${MANDIR}} $TARGET $VERSION $ARCH $OS || exit 1
+$ROOT/make-main-dist.sh $OPTIONS ${MANDIR} $TARGET $VERSION $ARCH $OS || exit 1
 $ROOT/make-extra-dist.sh $OPTIONS $TARGET $VERSION $ARCH $OS || exit 2
 
 if [ X"$MAKE_SRC_DIST" = "Xyes" ]; then
diff --git a/tools/make-main-dist.sh b/tools/make-main-dist.sh
index 01ba2be2d402d0e7c61749e33ecdfe3a63626ffd..f25c723b320ae7127bdda391871d248abd01ea53 100755
--- a/tools/make-main-dist.sh
+++ b/tools/make-main-dist.sh
@@ -138,12 +138,12 @@ if [ -z "$INSTALL_DIR" ]; then
     echo Tarring main components
     if [ -n "$ENABLE_GZIP" ]; then
 	echo "  Compressing with gzip"
-	( cd $DESTDIR >/dev/null ; tar cf - bin doc lib `dirname $MANDIR` ) | \
+	( cd $DESTDIR >/dev/null ; tar cf - . ) | \
 	  gzip -c > cmucl-$VERSION-$ARCH-$OS.tar.gz
     fi
     if [ -n "$ENABLE_BZIP" ]; then
 	echo "  Compressing with bzip"
-	( cd $DESTDIR >/dev/null ; tar cf - bin doc lib `dirname $MANDIR` ) | \
+	( cd $DESTDIR >/dev/null ; tar cvvvf - . ) | \
 	  bzip2 > cmucl-$VERSION-$ARCH-$OS.tar.bz2
     fi