diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index bd853d2df2..3d6a17d29c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 # 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 01715afb24..0e84c7cbfa 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