diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 089dfcb70..a88b27a16 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -19,15 +19,28 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/common-rules.mk
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
+# The generator - must be before anything else.
+SUBDIRS = generator
+
+# Must be the first tests that run.
+if ENABLE_APPLIANCE
+SUBDIRS += tests/qemu
+endif
+
+# Files and other test data used by the tests.  Must be before any
+# tests run, except tests/qemu.
+SUBDIRS += test-data
+
 # Gnulib - must be built and tested before the library.
-SUBDIRS = gnulib/lib
+SUBDIRS += gnulib/lib
 if ENABLE_GNULIB_TESTS
 SUBDIRS += gnulib/tests
 endif
 
 # Basic source for the library.
-SUBDIRS += generator src docs examples po
+SUBDIRS += src docs examples po
 
+# The daemon and the appliance.
 if ENABLE_DAEMON
 SUBDIRS += daemon
 SUBDIRS += tests/daemon
@@ -38,7 +51,6 @@ endif
 
 # Tests - order is important.
 if ENABLE_APPLIANCE
-SUBDIRS += tests/qemu
 SUBDIRS += tests/c-api
 SUBDIRS += tests/tmpdirs
 SUBDIRS += tests/protocol
@@ -149,9 +161,6 @@ if HAVE_TOOLS
 SUBDIRS += tools
 endif
 
-# Files and other test data used by the tests (must come after fish, perl).
-SUBDIRS += test-data
-
 # guestmount
 if HAVE_FUSE
 SUBDIRS += fuse
diff --git a/test-data/blank-disks/Makefile.am b/test-data/blank-disks/Makefile.am
index 365285a57..6613c4813 100644
--- a/test-data/blank-disks/Makefile.am
+++ b/test-data/blank-disks/Makefile.am
@@ -33,21 +33,21 @@ CLEANFILES = $(files)
 # Blank disk images in various sizes and formats.
 blank-disk-1s.raw:
 	rm -f $@
-	$(top_builddir)/run guestfish sparse $@ 512
+	truncate -s 512 $@
 
 blank-disk-1s.qcow2:
 	qemu-img create -f qcow2 -o preallocation=metadata $@ 512
 
 blank-disk-1K.raw:
 	rm -f $@
-	$(top_builddir)/run guestfish sparse $@ 1K
+	truncate -s 1K $@
 
 blank-disk-1K.qcow2:
 	qemu-img create -f qcow2 -o preallocation=metadata $@ 1K
 
 blank-disk-1M.raw:
 	rm -f $@
-	$(top_builddir)/run guestfish sparse $@ 1M
+	truncate -s 1M $@
 
 blank-disk-1M.qcow2:
 	qemu-img create -f qcow2 -o preallocation=metadata $@ 1M
diff --git a/test-data/phony-guests/Makefile.am b/test-data/phony-guests/Makefile.am
index 08b14e50b..98922c7e5 100644
--- a/test-data/phony-guests/Makefile.am
+++ b/test-data/phony-guests/Makefile.am
@@ -56,10 +56,12 @@ disk_images = \
 	coreos.img \
 	windows.img
 
-noinst_DATA = $(disk_images) guests-all-good.xml
+# This is 'check_DATA' because we don't need it until 'make check'
+# time and we need the tools we have built in order to make it.
+check_DATA = $(disk_images) guests-all-good.xml
 
 CLEANFILES = \
-	$(noinst_DATA) \
+	$(check_DATA) \
 	guests-all-good.xml \
 	stamp-fedora-md.img \
 	*.tmp.*