diff --git a/changes/makefile-var-exp b/changes/makefile-var-exp
index 14e6a725bb..9918e2a511 100644
--- a/changes/makefile-var-exp
+++ b/changes/makefile-var-exp
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
   o Minor bugfixes:
-    - Change $(VAR:MOD) to ${VAR:MOD} -- make(1) on NetBSD substitutes
-      '$(:x)' to 'x' rather than the empty string. This bites us in doc/
-      when configured with --disable-asciidoc. Curly braces should work
-      in all implementations of make(1) but this patch changes only the
-      places where we use the VAR:MOD expansion. Doesn't fix bug 1773;
-      bugfix on 0.2.2.9-alpha.
-
+    - Don't use substitution references ($(VAR:MOD)) when
+      $(asciidoc_files) is empty -- make(1) on NetBSD transforms
+      '$(:x)' to 'x' rather than the empty string. This bites us in
+      doc/ when configured with --disable-asciidoc.  Fixes bug 1773.
diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am
index 2e70fd7474..0f649d664a 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -15,25 +15,27 @@
 
 if USE_ASCIIDOC
 asciidoc_files = tor tor-gencert tor-resolve torify
+html_in = $(asciidoc_files:=.html.in)
+man_in = $(asciidoc_files:=.1.in)
+txt_in = $(asciidoc_files:=.1.txt)
+nodist_man_MANS = $(asciidoc_files:=.1)
+doc_DATA = $(asciidoc_files:=.html)
 else
 asciidoc_files =
+html_in =
+man_in =
+txt_in =
+nodist_man_MANS =
+doc_DATA =
 endif
 
-html_in = ${asciidoc_files:=.html.in}
-
-man_in = ${asciidoc_files:=.1.in}
-
 EXTRA_DIST = HACKING asciidoc-helper.sh                      \
-             $(html_in) $(man_in) ${asciidoc_files:=.1.txt}  \
+             $(html_in) $(man_in) $(txt_in)		     \
              tor-osx-dmg-creation.txt tor-rpm-creation.txt   \
              tor-win32-mingw-creation.txt
 
-nodist_man_MANS = ${asciidoc_files:=.1}
-
 docdir = @docdir@
 
-doc_DATA = ${asciidoc_files:=.html}
-
 asciidoc_product = $(nodist_man_MANS) $(doc_DATA)
 
 SUBDIRS = spec