diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4782a351a..bac706f2b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/LibAppArmor_wrap.c
 libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/LibAppArmor_wrap.o
 libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile
 libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.in
-libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.new
+libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.bak
 libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.ruby
 libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/mkmf.log
 libraries/libapparmor/testsuite/.deps
diff --git a/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.am b/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.am
index 03ef02fd6..465fa7463 100644
--- a/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.am
+++ b/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/Makefile.am
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ LibAppArmor_wrap.c : $(srcdir)/../SWIG/libapparmor.i
 MOSTLYCLEANFILES=LibAppArmor_wrap.c
 
 Makefile.ruby: extconf.rb
+	mv Makefile Makefile.bak
 	PREFIX=$(prefix) $(RUBY) $< --with-LibAppArmor-include=$(top_srcdir)/include
+	mv Makefile.bak Makefile
 
 LibAppArmor.so: LibAppArmor_wrap.c Makefile.ruby
 	$(MAKE) -fMakefile.ruby
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ install-exec-local: Makefile.ruby
 
 clean-local:
 	if test -f Makefile.ruby; then $(MAKE) -fMakefile.ruby clean; fi
-	rm -f Makefile.ruby Makefile.new
+	rm -f Makefile.ruby Makefile.bak
 	rm -f *.o *.so *.log
 
 endif
diff --git a/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/extconf.rb b/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/extconf.rb
index 647d2d831..6a2ef7457 100644
--- a/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/extconf.rb
+++ b/libraries/libapparmor/swig/ruby/extconf.rb
@@ -2,16 +2,8 @@
 
 require 'mkmf'
 
-# hack 1: ruby black magic to write a Makefile.new instead of a Makefile
-alias open_orig open
-def open(path, mode=nil, perm=nil)
-  path = 'Makefile.new' if path == 'Makefile'
-  if block_given?
-    open_orig(path, mode, perm) { |io| yield(io) }
-  else
-    open_orig(path, mode, perm)
-  end
-end
+# hack 1: Before extconf.rb gets called, Makefile gets backed up, and
+#         restored afterwards (see Makefile.am)
 
 if ENV['PREFIX']
   prefix = CONFIG['prefix']
@@ -27,7 +19,7 @@ if find_library('apparmor', 'parse_record', '../../src/.libs') and
 
   # hack 2: strip all rpath references
   open('Makefile.ruby', 'w') do |out|
-    IO.foreach('Makefile.new') do |line|
+    IO.foreach('Makefile') do |line|
       out.puts line.gsub(/-Wl,-R'[^']*'/, '')
     end
   end