diff --git a/perl/Makefile.am b/perl/Makefile.am
index 7b16996b2..de38fcd39 100644
--- a/perl/Makefile.am
+++ b/perl/Makefile.am
@@ -41,10 +41,14 @@ if HAVE_PERL
 # src/ dependencies
 src_deps: $(top_builddir)/src/libguestfs.la $(generator_built)
 
-# Images used by tests
+# Images used by tests.
 test_images:
 	$(MAKE) -C $(top_builddir)/tests/data
 
+# Build the appliance.
+appliance:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(top_builddir)/appliance
+
 TESTS = run-bindtests
 test_prereq = src_deps all test_images
 
@@ -77,4 +81,4 @@ install-data-hook:
 
 endif
 
-.PHONY: src_deps test_images
+.PHONY: appliance src_deps test_images
diff --git a/subdir-rules.mk b/subdir-rules.mk
index e675c4f09..0995a7449 100644
--- a/subdir-rules.mk
+++ b/subdir-rules.mk
@@ -24,7 +24,3 @@ $(generator_built): $(top_builddir)/generator/stamp-generator
 $(top_builddir)/generator/stamp-generator: force
 	$(MAKE) -C $(top_builddir)/generator stamp-generator
 
-# A symbolic rule to regenerate the appliance
-.PHONY: appliance
-appliance: force
-	$(MAKE) -C $(top_builddir)/appliance