diff --git a/src/Makefile.global.in b/src/Makefile.global.in
index c583b44..081ed5d 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.global.in
@@ -304,12 +304,14 @@ check: temp-install
 .PHONY: temp-install
 temp-install:
 ifndef NO_TEMP_INSTALL
+ifneq ($(abs_top_builddir),)
 ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL),0)
 	rm -rf '$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install
 	$(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)' DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install
 endif
 	$(if $(EXTRA_INSTALL),for extra in $(EXTRA_INSTALL); do $(MAKE) -C '$(top_builddir)'/$$extra DESTDIR='$(abs_top_builddir)'/tmp_install install || exit; done)
 endif
+endif
 
 PROVE = @PROVE@
 PG_PROVE_FLAGS = -I $(top_srcdir)/src/test/perl/