diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 79229168702acd5b3ffd167ecea1e62be66ab15a..ffef64031def2a14196dadda14d912f9e24d3fbf 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -23,18 +23,16 @@ pkgdata_DATA = $(DEMO).tar.gz
 
 demo-tarball: $(DEMO).tar.gz
 
-$(DEMO).tar.gz: $(DEMO).tar
-	$(GZIP) -9 $<
-
-$(DEMO).tar: $(DEMO)
-	$(TAR) -cf $@ $<
+$(DEMO).tar.gz: $(DEMO)
+	$(TAR) cf - $(DEMO) | $(GZIP) -9 > $@
 
 $(DEMO): DEMO
 	mkdir $@ ; cd $@ ; \
 	( cd ../DEMO ; $(TAR) cf - . ) | $(TAR) xf -
 
 clean-local:
-	rm -rf $(DEMO)
+	-rm -rf $(DEMO)
+	-rm -f  $(DEMO).tar.gz
 
 if MAINTAINER_MODE
 # This target only makes sense for maintainers!!