diff --git a/top/maint.mk b/top/maint.mk
index 16e9360..cb52631 100644
--- a/top/maint.mk
+++ b/top/maint.mk
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ sc_prohibit_gnu_make_extensions_awk_ =					\
       in_rules = 1;							\
   }									\
   /\$$</ && in_rules && $$0 !~ /^(.*\n)*\.\w+(\.\w+)?:/ {		\
-      print "Error: " file ": $$< in a non implicit rule\n" $$0;	\
+      print "Error: " file ": $$" "< in a non implicit rule\n" $$0;	\
       status = 1;							\
   }									\
   END {									\