diff --git a/libs/gst/helpers/Makefile.am b/libs/gst/helpers/Makefile.am
index 204758092f..7cde4ebffb 100644
--- a/libs/gst/helpers/Makefile.am
+++ b/libs/gst/helpers/Makefile.am
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ gdbdir = $(datadir)/gstreamer-@GST_API_VERSION@/gdb
 dist_gdb_DATA = gst_gdb.py glib_gobject_helper.py
 
 install-data-hook:
-	$(INSTALL) -D $(builddir)/libgstreamer-gdb.py $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/gdb/auto-load$(libdir)/libgstreamer-@GST_API_VERSION@.so.0.$(GST_CURRENT).$(GST_REVISION)-gdb.py
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/gdb/auto-load$(libdir)
+	$(INSTALL) $(builddir)/libgstreamer-gdb.py $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/gdb/auto-load$(libdir)/libgstreamer-@GST_API_VERSION@.so.0.$(GST_CURRENT).$(GST_REVISION)-gdb.py
 
 uninstall-hook:
 	rm -f "$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/gdb/auto-load$(libdir)/libgstreamer-@GST_API_VERSION@.so.0.$(GST_CURRENT).$(GST_REVISION)-gdb.py"