diff --git a/WPrefs.app/tiff/Makefile.am b/WPrefs.app/tiff/Makefile.am
index 6927544d..50c75fff 100644
--- a/WPrefs.app/tiff/Makefile.am
+++ b/WPrefs.app/tiff/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 tiffdatadir = $(wprefs_datadir)/tiff
 
-EXTRA_DIST = \
+if ICON_EXT_TIFF
+dist_tiffdata_DATA = \
 	advancetonewworkspace.tiff \
 	animations.tiff \
 	appearance.tiff \
@@ -72,13 +73,4 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	workspace.tiff \
 	workspacename.tiff \
 	xis.tiff 
-
-TIFF_FILES=
-
-tiffdata_DATA=$(TIFF_FILES)
-
-install-data-local:
-	if [ @ICONEXT@ = "tiff" -a x"$(TIFF_FILES)" = "x" ] ; then\
-		$(MAKE) install-data TIFF_FILES="$(EXTRA_DIST)";\
-	fi
-
+endif
diff --git a/WPrefs.app/xpm/Makefile.am b/WPrefs.app/xpm/Makefile.am
index 20b8f9e1..c491a7fc 100644
--- a/WPrefs.app/xpm/Makefile.am
+++ b/WPrefs.app/xpm/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 xpmdatadir = $(wprefs_datadir)/xpm
 
-
-EXTRA_DIST = \
+if ICON_EXT_XPM
+dist_xpmdata_DATA = \
 	advancetonewworkspace.xpm \
 	animations.xpm \
 	appearance.xpm \
@@ -72,14 +72,4 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	workspace.xpm \
 	workspacename.xpm \
 	xis.xpm 
-
-
-XPM_FILES=
-
-xpmdata_DATA=$(XPM_FILES)
-
-install-data-local:
-	if [ @ICONEXT@ = "xpm" -a x"$(XPM_FILES)" = "x" ] ; then\
-		$(MAKE) install-data XPM_FILES="$(EXTRA_DIST)";\
-	fi
-
+endif
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 32ea0d68..3feeaaeb 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -792,6 +792,8 @@ AC_SUBST(HEADER_SEARCH_PATH)
 
 AC_SUBST(GFXLIBS)
 AC_SUBST(ICONEXT)
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ICON_EXT_XPM],  [test "x$ICONEXT" = "xxpm"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ICON_EXT_TIFF], [test "x$ICONEXT" = "xtiff"])
 
 
 dnl ==============================================