diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3c731e48c419c..656b70651bef7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ light-source-dist: light-source-dist.tmp
 	# to the source directory.
 	DIRNAME=julia-$(JULIA_COMMIT); \
 	sed -e "s_.*_$$DIRNAME/&_" light-source-dist.tmp > light-source-dist.tmp1; \
-	ln -s . $$DIRNAME || exit 1; \
+	ln -s . $$DIRNAME || exit; \
 	tar -cz --no-recursion -T light-source-dist.tmp1 -f julia-$(JULIA_VERSION)_$(JULIA_COMMIT).tar.gz; \
 	rm -v $$DIRNAME
 
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ full-source-dist: light-source-dist.tmp
 	# to the source directory.
 	DIRNAME=julia-$(JULIA_COMMIT); \
 	sed -e "s_.*_$$DIRNAME/&_" full-source-dist.tmp > full-source-dist.tmp1; \
-	ln -s . $$DIRNAME || exit 1; \
+	ln -s . $$DIRNAME || exit; \
 	tar -cz --no-recursion -T full-source-dist.tmp1 -f julia-$(JULIA_VERSION)_$(JULIA_COMMIT)-full.tar.gz; \
 	rm -v $$DIRNAME