diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 0501997..a22bd7a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = xkbcommon.pc
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
-	makekeys.py \
-	makeheader.py \
+	scripts/makeheader \
+	scripts/makekeys \
+	scripts/update-keysyms \
+	scripts/update-keywords \
 	src/xkbcomp/keywords.gperf \
 	test/data \
 	README.md \
@@ -314,21 +316,6 @@ bench_rules_LDADD = $(BENCH_LDADD)
 bench_rulescomp_LDADD = $(BENCH_LDADD)
 bench_compose_LDADD = $(BENCH_LDADD)
 
-##
-# Custom targets
-##
-
-# Run this to regenerate xkbcommon-keysyms.h from the X11 headers
-# defining the keysyms and update the name <-> keysym mapping.
-update-keysyms:
-	LC_CTYPE=C python $(top_srcdir)/makeheader.py > $(top_srcdir)/xkbcommon/xkbcommon-keysyms.h
-	LC_CTYPE=C python $(top_srcdir)/makekeys.py $(top_srcdir)/xkbcommon/xkbcommon-keysyms.h > $(top_srcdir)/src/ks_tables.h
-
-# Run this if you add/remove a new keyword to the xkbcomp scanner,
-# or just want to regenerate the gperf file.
-update-keywords:
-	$(AM_V_GEN)gperf < $(top_srcdir)/src/xkbcomp/keywords.gperf > $(top_srcdir)/src/xkbcomp/keywords.c
-
 ##
 # Android stuff
 ##
diff --git a/PACKAGING b/PACKAGING
index d848b58..b14101a 100644
--- a/PACKAGING
+++ b/PACKAGING
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Dependencies for libxkbcommon:
 
 - (build optional) gperf.
   Output included in git and tarball. To regenerate, use
-  `make update-keywords`.
+  `./scripts/update-keywords`.
 
 Dependencies for libxkbcommon-x11:
 - libxkbcommon.
diff --git a/makeheader.py b/scripts/makeheader
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
similarity index 100%
rename from makeheader.py
rename to scripts/makeheader
diff --git a/makekeys.py b/scripts/makekeys
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
similarity index 100%
rename from makekeys.py
rename to scripts/makekeys
diff --git a/scripts/update-keysyms b/scripts/update-keysyms
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3356a35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/update-keysyms
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Run this to regenerate xkbcommon-keysyms.h from the X11 headers
+# defining the keysyms and update the name <-> keysym mapping.
+export LC_CTYPE=C
+scripts/makeheader > xkbcommon/xkbcommon-keysyms.h
+scripts/makekeys xkbcommon/xkbcommon-keysyms.h > src/ks_tables.h
diff --git a/scripts/update-keywords b/scripts/update-keywords
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..65f0d1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/update-keywords
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Run this if you add/remove a new keyword to the xkbcomp scanner,
+# or just want to regenerate the gperf file.
+gperf < src/xkbcomp/keywords.gperf > src/xkbcomp/keywords.c