diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8b1e2a6b5b..49a20b7614 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 # Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
 # file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
 
+# Pattern rule to print variables, e.g. make print-top_srcdir
+print-%:
+	@echo $* = $($*)
+
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I build-aux/m4
 SUBDIRS = src
 if ENABLE_MAN
diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
index b7e9a9213e..25ff135ea6 100644
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 .NOTPARALLEL :
 
+# Pattern rule to print variables, e.g. make print-top_srcdir
+print-%:
+	@echo $* = $($*)
+
 SOURCES_PATH ?= $(BASEDIR)/sources
 WORK_PATH = $(BASEDIR)/work
 BASE_CACHE ?= $(BASEDIR)/built