Inter-project building and dependency management?

[Eric Jonas]

Hello! I have an automake/autoconf project where I have a main source
directory, project/src, with my Makefile.am building a noinst library
via: 

noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libstream.la

libstream_la_SOURCES = $(cc_sources) $(source_sources)
libstream_la_CXXFALGS = $(AM_CXXFLAGS)
libstream_la_LIBADD=  @top_srcdir@/src/vis/libstreamvis.la

In my unittests dir, at project/unittest, I have a Makefile.am which
incorporates this per some very useful help from this list: 


runner_SOURCES =  runner.cc  $(test_sources)
runner_LDADD = @top_srcdir@/src/libstream.la

However, if I make a source change in my src directory and then run make
from my unittests directory, there are no recompiles triggered. I am
assuming this is because from unittest/Makefile.am's perspective, the
included library hasn't changed. 

Is there any way of getting a more recursive detection and compilation
of dependencies, such that a make in my unittests directory would
trigger a make in my src directory if need be?

Thanks, 
                ...Eric