diff --git a/gcc/ChangeLog b/gcc/ChangeLog
index 6e43c3ea446..b76684b902b 100644
--- a/gcc/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2003-07-08  Matt Kraai  <kraai@alumni.cmu.edu>
+
+	* Makefile.in (stage1-start): Handle an empty SUBDIRS.
+
 2003-07-08  Kaveh R. Ghazi  <ghazi@caip.rutgers.edu>
 
 	* genattr.c (internal_dfa_insn_code): Don't prototype.
diff --git a/gcc/Makefile.in b/gcc/Makefile.in
index 24ac3af4696..ff2b409e60f 100644
--- a/gcc/Makefile.in
+++ b/gcc/Makefile.in
@@ -3731,7 +3731,7 @@ compare4-lean: @make_compare_target@4-lean
 stage1-start:
 	-if [ -d stage1 ] ; then true ; else mkdir stage1 ; fi
 	$(MAKE) -f libgcc.mk libgcc-stage-start stage=stage1
-	-for dir in $(SUBDIRS) ; \
+	-subdirs="$(SUBDIRS)"; for dir in $$subdirs; \
 	 do \
 	   if [ -d stage1/$$dir ] ; then true ; else mkdir stage1/$$dir ; fi ; \
 	 done