diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index fe85941..ebed5d3 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2003-07-05  Paul Eggert  <eggert@twinsun.com>
+
+	* Makefile.in (check): Add a trivial check that "patch --help" works.
+	From a suggestion by Ed Avis.
+
 2003-07-02  Paul Eggert  <eggert@twinsun.com>
 
 	* pch.c (intuit_diff_type): If a unified-diff header line contains
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index eaac915..321ab6b 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -99,9 +99,12 @@ patch_name = `echo patch | sed '$(transform)'`
 all:: patch$(EXEEXT)
 
 info::
-check::
 installcheck::
 
+# Not a good check, but it's better than nothing.
+check:: all
+	./patch --help >/dev/null
+
 COMPILE = $(CC) -c $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) -Ded_PROGRAM=\"$(ed_PROGRAM)\" \
 	-I. -I$(srcdir) $(CFLAGS)