diff --git a/gst/Makefile.am b/gst/Makefile.am
index 97cbe877c0..7cba3ab227 100644
--- a/gst/Makefile.am
+++ b/gst/Makefile.am
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ endif
 
 
 .defs.c: 
-	($(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/codegen/codegen.py \
+	$(AM_V_GEN)($(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/codegen/codegen.py \
 		--load-types $(srcdir)/arg-types.py \
 		--register $(srcdir)/gst-types.defs \
 		--override $(srcdir)/$*.override \
diff --git a/pkgconfig/Makefile.am b/pkgconfig/Makefile.am
index 72d4965a2a..e11e4cdc8c 100644
--- a/pkgconfig/Makefile.am
+++ b/pkgconfig/Makefile.am
@@ -7,11 +7,15 @@ pcfiles_uninstalled = \
 
 all-local: $(pcfiles) $(pcfiles_uninstalled)
 
+cp_verbose = $(cp_verbose_$(V))
+cp_verbose_ = $(cp_verbose_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
+cp_verbose_0 = @echo "  CP     $@";
+
 ### how to generate pc files
 $(pcfiles): %-@GST_MAJORMINOR@.pc: %.pc
-	cp $< $@
+	$(cp_verbose_0)cp $< $@
 $(pcfiles_uninstalled): %-@GST_MAJORMINOR@-uninstalled.pc: %-uninstalled.pc
-	cp $< $@
+	$(cp_verbose_0)cp $< $@
 
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = $(pcfiles)
diff --git a/testsuite/Makefile.am b/testsuite/Makefile.am
index 282e362548..de055c8650 100644
--- a/testsuite/Makefile.am
+++ b/testsuite/Makefile.am
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ testhelper_la_SOURCES = \
 
 # This is a hack to make sure a shared library is built
 testhelper.la: $(testhelper_la_OBJECTS) $(testhelper_la_DEPENDENCIES)
-	$(LINK) -rpath $(pkgpyexecdir) $(testhelper_la_LDFLAGS) $(testhelper_la_OBJECTS) $(testhelper_la_LIBADD) $(LIBS)
+	$(AM_V_CCLD)$(LINK) -rpath $(pkgpyexecdir) $(testhelper_la_LDFLAGS) $(testhelper_la_OBJECTS) $(testhelper_la_LIBADD) $(LIBS)
 
 tests =  \
 	test_adapter.py \