diff --git a/Makefile.common b/Makefile.common
index d937536fc7a..78e0d6e423c 100644
--- a/Makefile.common
+++ b/Makefile.common
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ VERFILE := $(DISTDIR)/$(DISTNAME)/base/internal_version.h
 
 ifdef USE_PANDOC
 # Convert README.md and NEWS.md to plain text for any platform that might require it
-%$(PANDOCEXT): ${srcdir}/%.md
+%$(PANDOCEXT): %.md
 	$(QUIET)$(MKDIR) $(*D)
 	$(QUIET_PANDOC)$(PANDOC) -f gfm -t $(PANDOCFORMAT) --metadata pagetitle=$(basename $(notdir $@)) -s -o $@ $<
 endif
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index f40a8c73b02..665f381251a 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -5706,6 +5706,7 @@ vpath %.asm \$(srcdir)
 vpath %.s \$(srcdir)
 vpath %.S \$(srcdir)
 vpath %.rc \$(srcdir)
+vpath %.md \$(srcdir)
 include \$(srcdir)/Makefile
 EOF