diff --git a/templates.mk b/templates.mk
index fa91e2509..01b9d9d74 100644
--- a/templates.mk
+++ b/templates.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+template_files :=
+
 # Create the file $(1) from $(1).in by running config.status (which
 # substitutes all ‘@var@’ variables set by the configure script).
 define instantiate-template =