diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index da4f6407d1..3992fe9adb 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ gitrev:
 
 BUILT_SOURCES = gitrev
 
-distclean-local:
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
+distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) -R autom4te*.cache
 	-find . \( -name SCCS -o -name BitKeeper -o -name .svn -o -name CVS \
 		-o -name .pc -o -name .hg -o -name .git \) -prune -o \
diff --git a/contrib/dracut/02zfsexpandknowledge/Makefile.am b/contrib/dracut/02zfsexpandknowledge/Makefile.am
index a5c567c161..6e553e8d45 100644
--- a/contrib/dracut/02zfsexpandknowledge/Makefile.am
+++ b/contrib/dracut/02zfsexpandknowledge/Makefile.am
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ $(pkgdracut_SCRIPTS):%:%.in
 		-e 's,@sysconfdir\@,$(sysconfdir),g' \
 		$< >'$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 clean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(pkgdracut_SCRIPTS)
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(pkgdracut_SCRIPTS)
diff --git a/contrib/dracut/90zfs/Makefile.am b/contrib/dracut/90zfs/Makefile.am
index 0a557f57f2..1680230fa3 100644
--- a/contrib/dracut/90zfs/Makefile.am
+++ b/contrib/dracut/90zfs/Makefile.am
@@ -33,5 +33,6 @@ $(pkgdracut_SCRIPTS) $(pkgdracut_DATA) :%:%.in
 		-e 's,@mounthelperdir\@,$(mounthelperdir),g' \
 		$< >'$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(pkgdracut_SCRIPTS) $(pkgdracut_DATA)
diff --git a/contrib/initramfs/hooks/Makefile.am b/contrib/initramfs/hooks/Makefile.am
index 1735872c29..3d8ef627ed 100644
--- a/contrib/initramfs/hooks/Makefile.am
+++ b/contrib/initramfs/hooks/Makefile.am
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ $(hooks_SCRIPTS):%:%.in
 		-e 's,@mounthelperdir\@,$(mounthelperdir),g' \
 		$< >'$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 clean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(hooks_SCRIPTS)
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(hooks_SCRIPTS)
diff --git a/contrib/initramfs/scripts/Makefile.am b/contrib/initramfs/scripts/Makefile.am
index 12c2641b80..3ab18ba2cb 100644
--- a/contrib/initramfs/scripts/Makefile.am
+++ b/contrib/initramfs/scripts/Makefile.am
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ $(scripts_DATA):%:%.in
 		-e 's,@sysconfdir\@,$(sysconfdir),g' \
 		$< >'$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 clean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(scripts_SCRIPTS)
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(scripts_SCRIPTS)
diff --git a/etc/init.d/Makefile.am b/etc/init.d/Makefile.am
index 93432386a2..8b1a7cf962 100644
--- a/etc/init.d/Makefile.am
+++ b/etc/init.d/Makefile.am
@@ -40,5 +40,6 @@ $(init_SCRIPTS) $(initconf_SCRIPTS) $(initcommon_SCRIPTS):%:%.in
 	  [ '$@' = 'zfs-functions' -o '$@' = 'zfs' ] || \
 		chmod +x '$@')
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(init_SCRIPTS) $(initcommon_SCRIPTS) $(initconf_SCRIPTS)
diff --git a/etc/modules-load.d/Makefile.am b/etc/modules-load.d/Makefile.am
index 58c7acd44e..47762b7d06 100644
--- a/etc/modules-load.d/Makefile.am
+++ b/etc/modules-load.d/Makefile.am
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@ $(modulesload_DATA):%:%.in
 		-e '' \
 		$< >'$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(modulesload_DATA)
diff --git a/etc/systemd/system-generators/Makefile.am b/etc/systemd/system-generators/Makefile.am
index c730982a51..b4df013222 100644
--- a/etc/systemd/system-generators/Makefile.am
+++ b/etc/systemd/system-generators/Makefile.am
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@ $(systemdgenerator_SCRIPTS): %: %.in
 		-e 's,@sysconfdir\@,$(sysconfdir),g' \
 		$< >'$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(systemdgenerator_SCRIPTS)
diff --git a/etc/systemd/system/Makefile.am b/etc/systemd/system/Makefile.am
index 130c6c757a..4e14467a04 100644
--- a/etc/systemd/system/Makefile.am
+++ b/etc/systemd/system/Makefile.am
@@ -35,5 +35,6 @@ install-data-hook:
 	$(MKDIR_P) "$(DESTDIR)$(systemdunitdir)"
 	ln -sf /dev/null "$(DESTDIR)$(systemdunitdir)/zfs-import.service"
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(systemdunit_DATA) $(systemdpreset_DATA)
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/include/Makefile.am b/tests/zfs-tests/include/Makefile.am
index 41e105287b..86c387c677 100644
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/include/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/include/Makefile.am
@@ -16,5 +16,6 @@ $(nodist_pkgdata_DATA): %: %.in
 		-e 's,@sysconfdir\@,$(sysconfdir),g' \
 		$< >'$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) default.cfg
diff --git a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/pyzfs/Makefile.am b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/pyzfs/Makefile.am
index 0a27adecca..c4cd10894c 100644
--- a/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/pyzfs/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/zfs-tests/tests/functional/pyzfs/Makefile.am
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ $(pkgpyzfs_SCRIPTS):%:%.in
 		$< >'$@'
 	-chmod 775 $@
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(pkgpyzfs_SCRIPTS)
diff --git a/udev/rules.d/Makefile.am b/udev/rules.d/Makefile.am
index f79ea4b3c3..86c33fc697 100644
--- a/udev/rules.d/Makefile.am
+++ b/udev/rules.d/Makefile.am
@@ -16,5 +16,6 @@ $(udevrule_DATA):%:%.in
 		-e 's,@sysconfdir\@,$(sysconfdir),g' \
 		$< > '$@'
 
+# Double-colon rules are allowed; there are multiple independent definitions.
 distclean-local::
 	-$(RM) $(udevrule_DATA)