diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 86528e8fdd..9f134c9708 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -800,3 +800,7 @@ AM_V_HELP2MAN_0 = @echo "  HELP2MAN" $@;
 AM_V_PO4A = $(AM_V_PO4A_$(V))
 AM_V_PO4A_ = $(AM_V_PO4A_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
 AM_V_PO4A_0 = @echo "  PO4A" $@;
+
+AM_V_POXREF = $(AM_V_POXREF_$(V))
+AM_V_POXREF_ = $(AM_V_POXREF_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
+AM_V_POXREF_0 = @echo "  POXREF" $@;
diff --git a/doc/local.mk b/doc/local.mk
index 64d18e121a..1bfc03aba8 100644
--- a/doc/local.mk
+++ b/doc/local.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 # Copyright © 2016 Eric Bavier <bavier@member.fsf.org>
-# Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+# Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 # Copyright © 2013 Andreas Enge <andreas@enge.fr>
 # Copyright © 2016 Taylan Ulrich Bayırlı/Kammer <taylanbayirli@gmail.com>
 # Copyright © 2016, 2018 Mathieu Lirzin <mthl@gnu.org>
@@ -93,12 +93,12 @@ endef
 $(srcdir)/%D%/guix.%.texi: po/doc/guix.%.po $(srcdir)/%D%/contributing.%.texi
 	-$(AM_V_PO4A)$(PO4A_TRANSLATE) $(PO4A_PARAMS) -m "%D%/guix.texi" -p "$<" -l "$@.tmp"
 	-sed -i "s|guix\.info|$$(basename "$@" | sed 's|texi$$|info|')|" "$@.tmp"
-	-$(xref_command)
+	-$(AM_V_POXREF)$(xref_command)
 	-mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
 
 $(srcdir)/%D%/contributing.%.texi: po/doc/guix.%.po po/doc/contributing.%.po
 	-$(AM_V_PO4A)$(PO4A_TRANSLATE) $(PO4A_PARAMS) -m "%D%/contributing.texi" -p "$(word 2,$^)" -l "$@.tmp"
-	-$(xref_command)
+	-$(AM_V_POXREF)$(xref_command)
 	-mv "$@.tmp" "$@"
 
 %D%/os-config-%.texi: gnu/system/examples/%.tmpl