--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+2009-08-29  Jim Meyering  <meyering@redhat.com>
+
+	maint.mk: remove more coreutils-specific targets; XZ_OPT=-9ev
+	* top/maint.mk (cvs-check): Remove target; it was just an alias
+	to the better-named vc-diff-check.
+	(maintainer-distcheck): Remove rule.  It was used only from
+	the (alpha/beta/major) target, and all of its commands but one
+	were coreutils-specific.
+	(vc-dist): Remove rule.
+	(alpha beta major): Run "$(MAKE) distcheck" explicitly.
+	Run vc-diff-check, not vc-dist.
+	Run $(MAKE) dist with XZ_OPT=-9ev.  Note spelling, with "-".
+
 2009-08-27  Bruno Haible  <bruno@clisp.org>
 
 	* tests/test-bitrotate.c (main): Remove test that uses a shift count

--- a/top/maint.mk
+++ b/top/maint.mk
@@ -618,21 +618,6 @@
 	  rm vc-diffs;						\
 	fi
 
-cvs-check: vc-diff-check
-
-ALL_RECURSIVE_TARGETS += maintainer-distcheck
-maintainer-distcheck:
-	$(MAKE) distcheck
-	$(MAKE) taint-distcheck
-	$(MAKE) my-distcheck
-
-
-# Don't make a distribution if checks fail.
-# Also, make sure the NEWS file is up-to-date.
-ALL_RECURSIVE_TARGETS += vc-dist
-vc-dist: $(local-check) cvs-check maintainer-distcheck
-	XZ_OPT=9ev $(MAKE) dist
-
 # Use this to make sure we don't run these programs when building
 # from a virgin tgz file, below.
 null_AM_MAKEFLAGS = \
@@ -708,8 +693,10 @@
 	  && { echo $(VERSION) | grep -E '^[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)+$$'	\
 	       || { echo "invalid version string: $(VERSION)" 1>&2; exit 1;};}\
 	  || :
-	$(MAKE) vc-dist
+	$(MAKE) vc-diff-check
 	$(MAKE) news-date-check
+	$(MAKE) distcheck
+	$(MAKE) dist XZ_OPT=-9ev
 	$(MAKE) -s announcement RELEASE_TYPE=$@ > /tmp/announce-$(my_distdir)
 	if test -d $(release_archive_dir); then			\
 	  ln $(rel-files) $(release_archive_dir);		\