diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 374f45e72..c878226bf 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ org-*.zip
 manual
 org_dual_license.texi
 ORGWEBPAGE/Changes.txt
+local*.mk
 
 # aspell word and replacement lists
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7037e9a62..5f1d9bff7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,24 +8,32 @@
 .PHONY:	targets help
 targets help:
 	$(info )
-	$(info make              - show this help)
+	$(info make               - show this help)
+	$(info make all           - cleanly compile Org ELisp files and documentation)
 	$(info )
-	$(info make clean        - clean Elisp and documentation files)
-	$(info make all          - compile Org ELisp files and documentation)
+	$(info Installation)
+	$(info ============)
+	$(info make install       - install Org, both ELisp and Info files)
+	$(info make install-lisp  - install Org, only ELisp files)
+	$(info make install-info  - install Org, only Info file)
 	$(info )
-	$(info make docs         - make all documentation)
-	$(info make info         - make Info documentation)
-	$(info make html         - make HTML documentation)
-	$(info make pdf          - make pdf documentation)
-	$(info make card         - make refcards documentation)
+	$(info Maintenance)
+	$(info ===========)
+	$(info make docs          - make all documentation)
+	$(info make info          - make Info documentation)
+	$(info make html          - make HTML documentation)
+	$(info make pdf           - make pdf documentation)
+	$(info make card          - make refcards documentation)
 	$(info )
-	$(info make install      - install Org, both ELisp and Info files)
-	$(info make install-lisp - install Org ELisp files)
-	$(info make install-info - install Org Info file)
+	$(info make clean         - clean Org ELisp and documentation files)
+	$(info make compile       - cleanly compile Org ELisp files)
+	$(info make compile-dirty - compile Org ELisp without cleaning)
+	$(info )
+	$(info make clean-install - remove installed Org ELisp and documentation files)
 	@echo ""
 
  include default.mk
--include local.mk
+-include local.mk	# optional local customization
  include maint.mk
  include targets.mk
  include maint-targets.mk
diff --git a/default.mk b/default.mk
index cb61ff38c..a1831feb5 100644
--- a/default.mk
+++ b/default.mk
@@ -20,11 +20,14 @@ infodir = $(prefix)/info
 
 # Using emacs in batch mode.
 
-BATCH   = $(EMACS) -batch -q -no-site-file -eval          \
-          "(setq load-path (cons (expand-file-name \".\") \
-                                 (cons \"$(lispdir)\" load-path)))"
+BATCH   = $(EMACS) -batch -Q -L .
 
-# Specify the byte-compiler for compiling org-mode files
+# How to byte-compile the whole source directory
+ELCDIR  = $(BATCH) \
+	  --eval '(defconst org-release "$(ORGVERSION)")' \
+	  --eval '(batch-byte-recompile-directory 0)'
+
+# How to byte-compile a single source file
 ELC     = $(BATCH) -f batch-byte-compile
 
 # How to make a pdf file from a texinfo file
diff --git a/lisp/Makefile b/lisp/Makefile
index ac3445f8a..4aa022611 100644
--- a/lisp/Makefile
+++ b/lisp/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+ORG-INSTALL = $(BATCH) \
+	 --eval "(require 'autoload)" \
+	 --eval '(find-file "$(LISPO)")' \
+	 --eval '(erase-buffer)' \
+	 --eval '(mapc (lambda (x) (generate-file-autoloads (symbol-name x))) (quote ($(LISPF))))' \
+	 --eval '(insert "\n(provide (quote org-install))\n")' \
+	 --eval '(insert "\n(defconst org-release \"$(ORGVERSION)\"\n  \"The release version of org-mode.  Inserted by installing org-mode\n  or when a release is made.\")\n")' \
+	 --eval '(insert "\n(defconst org-git-version \"$(GITVERSION)\"\n  \"The Git version of org-mode.  Inserted by installing org-mode\n  or when a release is made.\")\n")' \
+	 --eval '(save-buffer)'
+-include local.mk	# optional local customization
+
+.NOTPARALLEL:	# always run this make serially
 .SUFFIXES:	# we don't need default suffix rules
 ifeq ($(MAKELEVEL), 0)
   $(error This make needs to be started as a sub-make from the toplevel directory.)
@@ -11,21 +23,13 @@ LISPC = $(LISPF:%el=%elc)
 
 all \
 compile \
-compile-dirty:
-	$(BATCH) --eval '(batch-byte-recompile-directory 0)'
+compile-dirty:	cleanauto
+	$(ELCDIR)
 
 autoloads:	$(LISPO)
 
 org-install.el:	$(LISPF)
-	$(BATCH) \
-	 --eval "(require 'autoload)" \
-	 --eval '(find-file "$(LISPO)")' \
-	 --eval '(erase-buffer)' \
-	 --eval '(mapc (lambda (x) (generate-file-autoloads (symbol-name x))) (quote ($(LISPF))))' \
-	 --eval '(insert "\n(provide (quote org-install))\n")' \
-	 --eval '(insert "\n(defconst org-release \"$(ORGVERSION)\"\n  \"The release version of org-mode.  Inserted by installing org-mode\n  or when a release is made.\")\n")' \
-	 --eval '(insert "\n(defconst org-git-version \"$(GITVERSION)\"\n  \"The Git version of org-mode.  Inserted by installing org-mode\n  or when a release is made.\")\n")' \
-	 --eval '(save-buffer)'
+	$(ORG-INSTALL)
 
 install:	$(LISPF) compile autoloads
 	if [ ! -d $(lispdir) ]; then $(MKDIR) $(lispdir); else true; fi ;
@@ -34,6 +38,9 @@ install:	$(LISPF) compile autoloads
 clean:
 	$(RM) *.elc
 
+cleanauto:
+	$(RM) $(LISPO) $(LISPO:%el=%elc)
+
 cleanall:
 	$(RM) *.elc $(LISPO)
 
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index 13801484c..8add2f1cc 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ identifier."
 
 ;;; Version
 
+(defvaralias 'org-version 'org-release)
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun org-version (&optional here)
   "Show the org-mode version in the echo area.
diff --git a/targets.mk b/targets.mk
index ab333a2b3..badb3524c 100644
--- a/targets.mk
+++ b/targets.mk
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ endif
 	install info html pdf card docs $(INSTSUB) \
 	autoloads cleanall clean cleancontrib cleanelc cleandoc cleanrel
 
+all \
 compile::	lisp
 	$(MAKE) -C $< clean
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ compile-dirty::	lisp
 	$(MAKE) -C $< $@
 
 all \
-clean-install:	$(SUBDIRS)
+clean-install::	$(SUBDIRS)
 	$(foreach dir, $?, $(MAKE) -C $(dir) $@;)
 
 up2:	update