diff --git a/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.am b/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.am
index ceb836625..762acd75e 100644
--- a/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.am
@@ -416,7 +416,5 @@ ks_tables.h: $(KEYSYMDEFS) $(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys$(EXEEXT)
 	$(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys $(KEYSYMDEFS) > ks_tables_h
 	mv ks_tables_h $@
 
-$(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys$(EXEEXT): force
+$(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys$(EXEEXT): $(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys.c
 	cd util && $(MAKE)
-
-force:
diff --git a/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.in b/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.in
index 2b663b286..fd2df3b7f 100644
--- a/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/libX11/src/Makefile.in
@@ -1387,11 +1387,9 @@ ks_tables.h: $(KEYSYMDEFS) $(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys$(EXEEXT)
 	$(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys $(KEYSYMDEFS) > ks_tables_h
 	mv ks_tables_h $@
 
-$(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys$(EXEEXT): force
+$(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys$(EXEEXT): $(top_builddir)/src/util/makekeys.c
 	cd util && $(MAKE)
 
-force:
-
 # Tell versions [3.59,3.63) of GNU make to not export all variables.
 # Otherwise a system limit (for SysV at least) may be exceeded.
 .NOEXPORT: