diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 80cd58aa4..ff31db5a9 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ sgr0 := $(shell ( tput sgr0 || tput me) 2> /dev/null )
 # Cool trick: `make show-$var` (e.g. make show-HAVE_DOXYGEN) to quickly see what $var is.
 #
 show-%:
-	@echo "  $* = $(em)$(cyan)'$(subst ',''',$($*))'$(sgr0)" ||:
+	-@echo "  $* = $(em)$(cyan)'$(subst ',''',$($*))'$(sgr0)"
 #
 # Make everything needed for installing fish
 #
@@ -649,9 +649,7 @@ xcode-install:
 .PHONY: xcode-install
 
 #
-# Actually do the installation. These '||true', '||:' lines are to prevent installs
-# from failing for (e.g.) missing man pages or extra_dirs outside the
-# writeable prefix.
+# Actually do the installation.
 #
 install-force: all install-translations | show-datadir show-sysconfdir show-extra_completionsdir show-extra_functionsdir show-extra_confdir show-mandir
 	$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)
@@ -679,9 +677,9 @@ install-force: all install-translations | show-datadir show-sysconfdir show-extr
 	$v $(INSTALL) -m 644 share/__fish_build_paths.fish    $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/fish/
 	$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/pkgconfig
 	@echo "Creating placeholder vendor/'extra_' directories"
-	$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(extra_completionsdir) ||:
-	$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(extra_functionsdir) ||:
-	$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(extra_confdir) ||:
+	-$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(extra_completionsdir)
+	-$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(extra_functionsdir)
+	-$v $(INSTALL) -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(extra_confdir)
 	@echo "Installing pkgconfig file"
 	$v $(INSTALL) -m 644 fish.pc $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/pkgconfig
 	@echo "Installing the $(bo)fish completion library$(sgr0)...";
@@ -885,8 +883,8 @@ style-all:
 # Restore the source tree to the state right after extracting a tarball.
 #
 distclean: clean
-	$v test ! -f $(PCRE2_DIR)/Makefile || \
-	  $(MAKE) V=$(V) -C $(PCRE2_DIR) distclean ||:
+	-$v test ! -f $(PCRE2_DIR)/Makefile || \
+	  $(MAKE) V=$(V) -C $(PCRE2_DIR) distclean
 	$v rm -rf config.status config.log config.h Makefile autom4te.cache aclocal.m4
 .PHONY: distclean
 
@@ -903,12 +901,12 @@ clean:
 # PCRE's make clean has a few slightly annoying exceptions to the V= rule. If V=0
 # send all output to /dev/null - unless there's an error, in which case run it again not silenced.
 ifeq ($(V), 0 )
-	@test ! -f $(PCRE2_DIR)/Makefile || \
-	  $(MAKE) -C $(PCRE2_DIR) clean ||:
+	-@test ! -f $(PCRE2_DIR)/Makefile || \
+	  $(MAKE) -C $(PCRE2_DIR) clean
 else
-	@test ! -f $(PCRE2_DIR)/Makefile || \
+	-@test ! -f $(PCRE2_DIR)/Makefile || \
 	  $(MAKE) -s -C $(PCRE2_DIR) clean > /dev/null || \
-	  $(MAKE) -s -C $(PCRE2_DIR) clean ||:
+	  $(MAKE) -s -C $(PCRE2_DIR) clean
 endif
 	$v rm -f obj/*.o *.o doc.h doc.tmp
 	$v rm -f doc_src/*.doxygen doc_src/*.cpp doc_src/*.o doc_src/commands.hdr