diff --git a/docs/manual/Makefile.am b/docs/manual/Makefile.am
index 117d8f46acb879b6c0dada725b0f80a606eb2759..cf71ad7a8a96e7f87314cab2ec78c963440190a4 100644
--- a/docs/manual/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/manual/Makefile.am
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ dist-hook: dist-check-doc doc-build.stamp
 		cp "$$file" "$(distdir)/html/"; \
 	fi; \
 	for lang in $(ALL_LINGUAS); do \
-		if test -d "$(srcdir)/html/$$lang"; then \
+		if test -d "$(srcdir)/html/$$lang/index.html"; then \
 			mkdir -p "$(distdir)/html/$$lang"; \
 			cp -t "$(distdir)/html/$$lang/" $(srcdir)/html/$$lang/*; \
 		fi \