Index: tests/Makefile.am
===================================================================
--- tests/Makefile.am	(revision 7009b9bded5a22382eaaa07103b17654746d29f0)
+++ tests/Makefile.am	(revision 15f9c8ecb4774ba04edf4275b58d7a51566350ab)
@@ -99,13 +99,12 @@
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-is_ascii = $(shell file )
-
 # implicit rule so not all test require a rule
+# split into two steps to support compiling remotely using distcc
 % : %.cfa $(CFACCBIN)
 	$(CFACOMPILETEST) -c -o $(abspath ${@}).o
 	$(CFACC) $(abspath ${@}).o -o $(abspath ${@})
 
-# @ if [[ "$(shell file $(abspath ${@}).o)" == *"ASCII text"* ]]; then echo "mv $(abspath ${@}).o $(abspath ${@})"; mv $(abspath ${@}).o $(abspath ${@}); else echo "$(CFACC) $(abspath ${@}).o -o $(abspath ${@});"; $(CFACC) $(abspath ${@}).o -o $(abspath ${@}); fi
-
+# second implicit rule for programs that don't produce an executable
+# still in two steps for distcc
 declarationSpecifier gccExtensions extension attributes functions KRfunctions : % : %.cfa $(CFACCBIN)
 	$(CFACOMPILETEST) -CFA -XCFA -p -o $(abspath ${@}).o
Index: tests/Makefile.in
===================================================================
--- tests/Makefile.in	(revision 7009b9bded5a22382eaaa07103b17654746d29f0)
+++ tests/Makefile.in	(revision 15f9c8ecb4774ba04edf4275b58d7a51566350ab)
@@ -412,7 +412,4 @@
 CFATEST_STDERR = $(CFACOMPILETEST) 2> $(abspath ${@})
 
-#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-is_ascii = $(shell file )
-
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # TARGET WITH STANDARD RULE BUT CUSTOM FLAGS
@@ -808,11 +805,14 @@
 	@+${TEST_PY} --debug=${debug}  --install=${installed} -Iconcurrent
 
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 # implicit rule so not all test require a rule
+# split into two steps to support compiling remotely using distcc
 % : %.cfa $(CFACCBIN)
 	$(CFACOMPILETEST) -c -o $(abspath ${@}).o
 	$(CFACC) $(abspath ${@}).o -o $(abspath ${@})
 
-# @ if [[ "$(shell file $(abspath ${@}).o)" == *"ASCII text"* ]]; then echo "mv $(abspath ${@}).o $(abspath ${@})"; mv $(abspath ${@}).o $(abspath ${@}); else echo "$(CFACC) $(abspath ${@}).o -o $(abspath ${@});"; $(CFACC) $(abspath ${@}).o -o $(abspath ${@}); fi
-
+# second implicit rule for programs that don't produce an executable
+# still in two steps for distcc
 declarationSpecifier gccExtensions extension attributes functions KRfunctions : % : %.cfa $(CFACCBIN)
 	$(CFACOMPILETEST) -CFA -XCFA -p -o $(abspath ${@}).o