diff --git a/gobject/tests/Makefile.am b/gobject/tests/Makefile.am
index da36e19b8..1cad19c54 100644
--- a/gobject/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/gobject/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ ifaceproperties_SOURCES = ifaceproperties.c testcommon.h
 # The marshalers test requires running a binary, so we cannot build it when
 # cross-compiling
 
-if !CROSS_COMPILING
-glib_genmarshal=$(top_builddir)/gobject/glib-genmarshal
+glib_genmarshal = $(top_builddir)/gobject/glib-genmarshal
 
 test_programs += signals
 signals_SOURCES = signals.c
@@ -45,10 +44,21 @@ signals.o: marshalers.h
 CLEANFILES += marshalers.h marshalers.c
 EXTRA_DIST += marshalers.list
 
-marshalers.h: Makefile.am marshalers.list
-	$(AM_V_GEN) $(glib_genmarshal) --prefix=test $(srcdir)/marshalers.list --header --valist-marshallers > marshalers.h
+marshalers.h: $(srcdir)/marshalers.list Makefile.am
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(glib_genmarshal) \
+		--prefix=test \
+		--valist-marshallers \
+		--output=$@ \
+		--quiet \
+		--header \
+		$<
 
-marshalers.c: Makefile.am marshalers.h marshalers.list
-	$(AM_V_GEN) (echo "#include \"marshalers.h\""; $(glib_genmarshal) --prefix=test $(srcdir)/marshalers.list --body --valist-marshallers) > $@.tmp && mv $@.tmp $@
-
-endif # !CROSS_COMPILING
+marshalers.c: $(srcdir)/marshalers.list marshalers.h Makefile.am
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(glib_genmarshal) \
+		--prefix=test \
+		--valist-marshallers \
+		--include-header=marshalers.h \
+		--output=$@ \
+		--quiet \
+		--body \
+		$<