Index: Makefile.in
==================================================================
--- Makefile.in
+++ Makefile.in
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@
 clean: clean-th1ish
 distclean: distclean-th1ish
 include @top_srcdir@/shakenmake.make
 
 AUTOCONFIG_H := @srcdir@/include/fossil-scm/autoconfig.h
-SRCD := @top_srcdir@/src
-FSL.SRC := $(addprefix $(SRCD)/,\
+#SRCDIR := @top_srcdir@/src
+SRCDIR := @srcdir@/src
+FSL.SRC.BASENAMES := \
 	fsl.c \
 	fsl_appendf.c \
 	fsl_bag.c \
 	fsl_buffer.c \
 	fsl_content.c \
@@ -26,15 +27,38 @@
 	fsl_md5.c \
 	fsl_mf.c \
 	fsl_pq.c \
 	fsl_sha1.c \
 	fsl_tag.c \
-	fsl_utf8.c)
+	fsl_utf8.c
+FSL.SRC := $(addprefix $(SRCDIR)/,$(FSL.SRC.BASENAMES))
+
+########################################################################
+# Set up building the main objects the $(OBJDIR).
+OBJDIR := obj
+$(OBJDIR):
+	mkdir $@
+DISTCLEAN_FILES += -r $(OBJDIR)
+# Reminder to self: the fact that rm(1) on my system accepts -r
+# in the middle of the file list somewhat surprises me, but it may
+# be non-portable.
 
-FSL.OBJ := $(subst .c,.o,$(FSL.SRC))
+define ADD_C_TO_OBJ_DIR
+# Set up rules for building dir/foo.c to $(OBJDIR)/foo.o
+# $1 = input file. Must not be more than 1 subdir level
+# deep (that would break these rules).
+$(1).OBJ := $(OBJDIR)/$(basename $(notdir $(1))).o
+$$($(1).OBJ): $(1)
+	$(COMPILE.c) $(COMPILE.c.OPTIONS) -o $$($(1).OBJ) $(1)
+FSL.OBJ += $$($(1).OBJ)
+endef
+$(foreach cfile,$(FSL.SRC),$(eval $(call ADD_C_TO_OBJ_DIR,$(cfile))))
+CLEAN_FILES += $(FSL.OBJ)
+$(FSL.OBJ): $(OBJDIR)
 
-CLEAN_FILES += $(SRCD)/*.o
+# End $(OBJDIR) bits.
+########################################################################
 
 EXTRA_LIBS := -lz -lsqlite3
 test.BIN.LDFLAGS := -L. -lfossil @SH_LINKFLAGS@
 libfossil.DLL.OBJECTS := $(FSL.OBJ)
 libfossil.DLL.LDFLAGS := @SH_LDFLAGS@ $(EXTRA_LIBS)

Index: auto.def
==================================================================
--- auto.def
+++ auto.def
@@ -141,11 +141,11 @@
 
 if {[opt-bool no-debug]} {
     msg-result "Non-debug build."
     set cFlags "$cFlags -O2"
 } else {
-    msg-result "Debug build enabled."
+    msg-result "Debug build enabled. Use --no-debug to build in non-debug mode."
     set cFlags "$cFlags -g"
 }
 
 define CFLAGS $cFlags
 

Index: th1ish/Makefile.in
==================================================================
--- th1ish/Makefile.in
+++ th1ish/Makefile.in
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
 #CPPFLAGS += -I$(TOP_INCDIR)
 CPPFLAGS += -I$(TOP_DIR)/include
 #INCLUDES_PATH ?= $(HOME)/include /usr/local/include /usr/include
 
 FOSSIL.LIB := ../libfossil.a
+
+ifeq (,$(strip $(filter distclean clean,$(MAKECMDGOALS))))
 $(FOSSIL.LIB):
 	$(MAKE) -C ..
+endif
 
 ########################################################################
 # INC_SEARCH: $(call)able function. $(1) should be the the name of
 # a C header file to search for under $(INCLUDES_PATH).
 define INC_SEARCH