diff --git a/runtime/syntax/Makefile b/runtime/syntax/Makefile
index c8a7f00..f3b578c 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/Makefile
+++ b/runtime/syntax/Makefile
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
 	@echo "$(RUN_VIMTEST)" >> testdir/vimcmd
 	VIMRUNTIME=$(VIMRUNTIME) $(VIMPROG) --clean --not-a-term $(DEBUGLOG) -u testdir/runtest.vim
 	@# FIXME: Temporarily show the whole file to find out what goes wrong
-	@#tail -n 6 testdir/messages
-	@cat testdir/messages
+	@#if [ -f testdir/messages ]; then tail -n 6 testdir/messages; fi
+	@if [ -f testdir/messages ]; then cat testdir/messages; fi
 
 
 clean testclean: