diff --git a/gio/Makefile.am b/gio/Makefile.am
index 89d85dbb1..bc90cc525 100644
--- a/gio/Makefile.am
+++ b/gio/Makefile.am
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST += $(completion_SCRIPTS)
 # generate code here for the sake of gtk-doc
 
 gdbus-example-objectmanager-generated.h gdbus-example-objectmanager-generated.c : gdbus-example-objectmanager.xml
-	$(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/gio/gdbus-codegen/codegen_main.py	 	\
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/gio/gdbus-codegen/codegen_main.py	 	\
 		--interface-prefix org.gtk.GDBus.Example.ObjectManager.		\
 		--c-namespace Example 						\
 		--c-generate-object-manager					\
diff --git a/gio/tests/Makefile.am b/gio/tests/Makefile.am
index 16dae2aa2..c4642c522 100644
--- a/gio/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/gio/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ gdbus_bz627724_SOURCES = gdbus-bz627724.c gdbus-sessionbus.c gdbus-sessionbus.h
 gdbus_bz627724_LDADD = $(progs_ldadd)
 
 gdbus-test-codegen-generated.h gdbus-test-codegen-generated.c : test-codegen.xml
-	$(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/gio/gdbus-codegen/codegen_main.py	 				\
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/gio/gdbus-codegen/codegen_main.py	 				\
 		--interface-prefix org.project.								\
 		--generate-c-code gdbus-test-codegen-generated						\
 		--c-generate-object-manager								\
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ proxy_SOURCES = proxy.c
 proxy_LDADD   = $(progs_ldadd) \
 	$(top_builddir)/gthread/libgthread-2.0.la
 
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 gdbus_example_objectmanager_server_SOURCES  = gdbus-example-objectmanager-server.c
 gdbus_example_objectmanager_server_LDADD    = $(top_builddir)/gio/libgdbus-example-objectmanager.la $(progs_ldadd)
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ gdbus_example_objectmanager_server_LDADD    = $(top_builddir)/gio/libgdbus-examp
 gdbus_example_objectmanager_client_SOURCES  = gdbus-example-objectmanager-client.c
 gdbus_example_objectmanager_client_LDADD    = $(top_builddir)/gio/libgdbus-example-objectmanager.la $(progs_ldadd)
 
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 EXTRA_DIST += \
 	socket-common.c			\
diff --git a/glib/Makefile.am b/glib/Makefile.am
index 5a6bef789..d0da7b21a 100644
--- a/glib/Makefile.am
+++ b/glib/Makefile.am
@@ -355,10 +355,10 @@ INSTALL_PROGS=
 
 if ENABLE_DTRACE
 glib_probes.h: glib_probes.d Makefile
-	$(DTRACE) -C -h -s $< -o $@.tmp
-	sed -e "s,define STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES 1,undef STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES," < $@.tmp > $@ && rm -f $@.tmp
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(DTRACE) -C -h -s $< -o $@.tmp
+	@$(SED) -e "s,define STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES 1,undef STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES," < $@.tmp > $@ && rm -f $@.tmp
 glib_probes.o: glib_probes.d Makefile
-	$(DTRACE) -G -s $< -o $@
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(DTRACE) -G -s $< -o $@
 BUILT_SOURCES += glib_probes.h glib_probes.o
 CLEANFILES += glib_probes.h glib_probes.h.tmp
 libglib_2_0_la_LIBADD += glib_probes.o
diff --git a/glib/libcharset/Makefile.am b/glib/libcharset/Makefile.am
index 5571388d0..f5362df5a 100644
--- a/glib/libcharset/Makefile.am
+++ b/glib/libcharset/Makefile.am
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ uninstall-local: all-local
 	fi
 
 charset.alias: config.charset
-	$(SHELL) $(srcdir)/config.charset '@host@' > t-$@
-	mv t-$@ $@
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(SHELL) $(srcdir)/config.charset '@host@' > t-$@
+	@mv t-$@ $@
 
 all-local: ref-add.sed ref-del.sed charset.alias
 
 SUFFIXES = .sed .sin
 .sin.sed:
-	sed -e '/^#/d' -e 's/@''PACKAGE''@/@PACKAGE@/g' $< > t-$@
-	mv t-$@ $@
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(SED) -e '/^#/d' -e 's/@''PACKAGE''@/@PACKAGE@/g' $< > t-$@
+	@mv t-$@ $@
 
 CLEANFILES = charset.alias ref-add.sed ref-del.sed
diff --git a/gobject/Makefile.am b/gobject/Makefile.am
index 0a9dc0f4b..0ddb6271e 100644
--- a/gobject/Makefile.am
+++ b/gobject/Makefile.am
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = 					\
 	-DG_DISABLE_CONST_RETURNS
 
 gobject.def: gobject.symbols
-	$(AM_V_GEN) (echo -e EXPORTS; $(CPP) -P -DINCLUDE_VARIABLES -DINCLUDE_INTERNAL_SYMBOLS -DG_OS_WIN32 -DALL_FILES - <$(srcdir)/gobject.symbols | sed -e '/^$$/d' -e 's/^/	/' -e 's/G_GNUC_[^ ]*//g' | sort) > gobject.def
+	$(AM_V_GEN) (echo -e EXPORTS; $(CPP) -P -DINCLUDE_VARIABLES -DINCLUDE_INTERNAL_SYMBOLS -DG_OS_WIN32 -DALL_FILES - <$(srcdir)/gobject.symbols | $(SED) -e '/^$$/d' -e 's/^/	/' -e 's/G_GNUC_[^ ]*//g' | sort) > gobject.def
 
 if OS_LINUX
 if HAVE_GNUC_VISIBILITY
@@ -143,10 +143,10 @@ BUILT_SOURCES = gmarshal.h gmarshal.c
 
 if ENABLE_DTRACE
 gobject_probes.h: gobject_probes.d Makefile
-	$(DTRACE) -C -h -s $< -o $@.tmp
-	sed -e "s,define STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES 1,undef STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES," < $@.tmp > $@ && rm -f $@.tmp
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(DTRACE) -C -h -s $< -o $@.tmp
+	@$(SED) -e "s,define STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES 1,undef STAP_HAS_SEMAPHORES," < $@.tmp > $@ && rm -f $@.tmp
 gobject_probes.o: gobject_probes.d Makefile
-	$(DTRACE) -G -s $< -o $@
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(DTRACE) -G -s $< -o $@
 BUILT_SOURCES += gobject_probes.h gobject_probes.o
 CLEANFILES += gobject_probes.h
 libgobject_2_0_la_LIBADD += gobject_probes.o
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ gmarshal.c: @REBUILD@ stamp-gmarshal.h
 
 gmarshal.strings: @REBUILD@ $(srcdir)/gmarshal.list
 	$(AM_V_GEN) grep '^[A-Z]' $(srcdir)/gmarshal.list \
-	| sed -e 's/^/"g_cclosure_marshal_/' -e 's/:/__/' -e 's/,/_/g' -e 's/$$/",/' > xgen-gms \
+	| $(SED) -e 's/^/"g_cclosure_marshal_/' -e 's/:/__/' -e 's/,/_/g' -e 's/$$/",/' > xgen-gms \
 	&& cp xgen-gms gmarshal.strings \
 	&& rm -f xgen-gms xgen-gms~
 
diff --git a/po/Makefile.in.in b/po/Makefile.in.in
index eb60dd09e..4ed29e6aa 100644
--- a/po/Makefile.in.in
+++ b/po/Makefile.in.in
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ INSTOBJEXT = @INSTOBJEXT@
 	$(MSGFMT) -o $@ $<
 
 .po.gmo:
-	file=$(srcdir)/`echo $* | sed 's,.*/,,'`.gmo \
+	$(AM_V_GEN) file=$(srcdir)/`echo $* | sed 's,.*/,,'`.gmo \
 	  && rm -f $$file && $(GMSGFMT) $(MSGFMT_OPTS) -o $$file $<
 
 .po.cat: