diff --git a/ncat/Makefile.in b/ncat/Makefile.in
index 207bbf9fd..a2db03466 100644
--- a/ncat/Makefile.in
+++ b/ncat/Makefile.in
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ endif
 
 all: $(TARGET) $(TEST_PROGS)
 
+$(LIBLUADIR)/liblua.a: @LUA_BUILD@
+
 lua_build: $(LIBLUADIR)/Makefile
 	@echo Compiling liblua; cd $(LIBLUADIR) && $(MAKE) liblua.a CC="$(CC)" MYCFLAGS="$(CFLAGS) $(LUA_CFLAGS)"
 
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ test/test-cmdline-split: test/test-cmdline-split.o ncat_posix.o ncat_core.o sys_
 test/test-wildcard: test/test-wildcard.o ncat_core.o ncat_ssl.o sys_wrap.o util.o ncat_posix.o $(LUA_OBJS)
 	$(CC) -o $@ $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $^ $(NSOCKLIB) $(NBASELIB) $(OPENSSL_LIBS) $(PCAP_LIBS) $(LUA_LIBS) $(LIBS)
 
-.PHONY: uninstall all clean distclean
+.PHONY: uninstall all clean distclean lua_build
 
 ../libnetutil/libnetutil.a: ../libnetutil/Makefile
 	@echo Compiling libnetutil;
diff --git a/ncat/configure b/ncat/configure
index a8463619b..b6798b151 100755
--- a/ncat/configure
+++ b/ncat/configure
@@ -5183,7 +5183,7 @@ if test "${with_liblua+set}" = set; then :
   included)
     CPPFLAGS="-I\$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR $CPPFLAGS"
     LIBLUA_LIBS="\$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR/liblua.a"
-    LUA_DEPENDS="lua_build \$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR/liblua.a"
+    LUA_DEPENDS="\$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR/liblua.a"
     LUA_BUILD="lua_build"
     LUA_CLEAN="lua_clean"
     LUA_DIST_CLEAN="lua_dist_clean"
diff --git a/ncat/configure.ac b/ncat/configure.ac
index b7df9d387..a7e458e08 100644
--- a/ncat/configure.ac
+++ b/ncat/configure.ac
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ AC_HELP_STRING([--without-liblua], [Compile without lua (this will exclude all o
   included)
     CPPFLAGS="-I\$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR $CPPFLAGS"
     LIBLUA_LIBS="\$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR/liblua.a"
-    LUA_DEPENDS="lua_build \$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR/liblua.a"
+    LUA_DEPENDS="\$(top_srcdir)/$LIBLUADIR/liblua.a"
     LUA_BUILD="lua_build"
     LUA_CLEAN="lua_clean"
     LUA_DIST_CLEAN="lua_dist_clean"