diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b40917524e..4e3b07d886 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 /conf/%gconf.xml
 /conf/srtm_data/*
 /conf/maps_data/*
+/conf/maps.xml
 /conf/gps/ublox_conf
 
 # /doc/pprz_algebra/
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index dc038c10d3..5537086c6a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -74,14 +74,16 @@ all: conf commands static
 
 static : lib center tools cockpit multimon tmtc misc logalizer lpc21iap sim_static static_h usb_lib
 
-conf: conf/conf.xml conf/control_panel.xml conf/maps.xml
+conf: conf/conf.xml conf/control_panel.xml conf/maps.xml FORCE
 
 conf/%.xml :conf/%.xml.example
 	[ -L $@ ] || [ -f $@ ] || cp $< $@
 
-conf/maps.xml:
-	cd data/maps; $(MAKE)
+conf/maps.xml: conf/maps.xml.example FORCE
+	-cd data/maps; $(MAKE)
+	if test ! -e $@; then cp $< $@; fi
 
+FORCE:
 
 lib:
 	cd $(LIB)/ocaml; $(MAKE)
diff --git a/conf/maps.xml b/conf/maps.xml.example
similarity index 100%
rename from conf/maps.xml
rename to conf/maps.xml.example
index c7ee3dc18d..0103dd0ef4 100644
--- a/conf/maps.xml
+++ b/conf/maps.xml.example
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <!DOCTYPE maps SYSTEM "maps.dtd">
-<maps google_version="89"/>
 
+<maps google_version="89"/>
diff --git a/data/maps/Makefile b/data/maps/Makefile
index 5d393a1517..6ceb046a40 100644
--- a/data/maps/Makefile
+++ b/data/maps/Makefile
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@ all: $(DATADIR)/maps.google.com $(PAPARAZZI_HOME)/conf/maps.xml
 $(DATADIR):
 	mkdir $(DATADIR)
 
-$(DATADIR)/maps.google.com: $(DATADIR)
+$(DATADIR)/maps.google.com: $(DATADIR) FORCE
 	wget -O $(@) http://maps.google.com/
 
 $(PAPARAZZI_HOME)/conf/maps.xml: $(DATADIR)/maps.google.com
-	$(Q)echo "<!DOCTYPE maps SYSTEM \"maps.dtd\">" > $(@)
+	$(Q)echo "<!DOCTYPE maps SYSTEM \"maps.dtd\">\n" > $(@)
 	$(Q)echo "<maps google_version=\""`grep -P "http://khm[0-9]+.google.com/kh/v=[0-9]+.x26" $(DATADIR)/maps.google.com | sed -E s#.*http://khm[0-9]+.google.com/kh/v=## | sed -E s#.x26.*##`"\"/>" >> $(@)
 	$(Q)echo "" >> $(@)
 
+FORCE: