diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 60a21d6..9974e53 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -294,16 +294,16 @@ if test "$gl_gcc_warnings" = yes; then
   AC_SUBST([GNULIB_TEST_WARN_CFLAGS])
 fi

+# This is needed when building outside the source dir
+# with --disable-dependency-tracking, see https://bugs.gnu.org/25371
+AS_MKDIR_P([lib])
+AS_MKDIR_P([sed])
+AS_MKDIR_P([doc])
+AS_MKDIR_P([testsuite])
+
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
   Makefile
   po/Makefile.in
   gnulib-tests/Makefile
 ])
 AC_OUTPUT
-
-# This is needed when building outside the source dir
-# with -disable-dependency-tracking , see https://bugs.gnu.org/25371
-AS_MKDIR_P(lib)
-AS_MKDIR_P(sed)
-AS_MKDIR_P(doc)
-AS_MKDIR_P(testsuite)