diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 5df192e9fb..4e5aca3837 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 Mon May 27 10:10:00 1996  Roland McGrath  <roland@delasyd.gnu.ai.mit.edu>
 
+	* Makefile ($(includedir)/stubs.h): Don't touch target if new one is
+	identical.
+
 	* time/Makefile (z.% rule): Generate generic zone%/ rule after
 	zone%/right/ and zone%/posix/ rules so they match first.
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 24203a2aa0..42c1ebb7d7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -144,7 +144,8 @@ $(includedir)/stubs.h: subdir_install
 	 echo '   in the C library which is a stub, meaning it will fail';\
 	 echo '   every time called, usually setting errno to ENOSYS.  */';\
 	 sort $(subdir-stubs)) > $(objpfx)stubs.h
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(objpfx)stubs.h $@
+	if test -r $@ && cmp -s $(objpfx)stubs.h $@; then : ; \
+	else $(INSTALL_DATA) $(objpfx)stubs.h $@; fi
 	rm -f $(objpfx)stubs.h
 
 # This makes the Info or DVI file of the documentation from the Texinfo source.