diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index ee4116211..21af71d0d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1772,7 +1772,7 @@ DOCBOOK_HTML =
 endif
 
 doc/api/html/index.html: doc/doxygen.conf
-	@mkdir -p $(@D)
+	@$(MKDIR_P) $(@D)
 	$(DOXYGEN) $<
 
 all-local: $(DOCBOOK_HTML) doc/api/html/index.html