@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ comma = ,
 empty =
 space = $(empty) $(empty)
 
+## wspfx: the whitespace prefix padding for $(QUIET...) and similarly
+## aligned output.
+wspfx = $(space)$(space)$(space)
+wspfx_SQ = '$(subst ','\'',$(wspfx))'
+# ' closing quote to appease Emacs make-mode.elxo
+
 ### Quieting
 ## common
 QUIET_SUBDIR0  = +$(MAKE) -C # space to separate -C and subdir

@@ -47,39 +53,39 @@ ifneq ($(findstring s,$(MAKEFLAGS)),s)
 ifndef V
 ## common
 	QUIET_SUBDIR0  = +@subdir=
-	QUIET_SUBDIR1  = ;$(NO_SUBDIR) echo '   ' SUBDIR $$subdir; \
+	QUIET_SUBDIR1  = ;$(NO_SUBDIR) echo $(wspfx_SQ) SUBDIR $$subdir; \
 			 $(MAKE) $(PRINT_DIR) -C $$subdir
 
 	QUIET          = @
-	QUIET_GEN      = @echo '   ' GEN $@;
+	QUIET_GEN      = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) GEN $@;
 
 ## Used in "Makefile"
-	QUIET_CC       = @echo '   ' CC $@;
-	QUIET_AR       = @echo '   ' AR $@;
-	QUIET_LINK     = @echo '   ' LINK $@;
-	QUIET_BUILT_IN = @echo '   ' BUILTIN $@;
-	QUIET_LNCP     = @echo '   ' LN/CP $@;
-	QUIET_XGETTEXT = @echo '   ' XGETTEXT $@;
-	QUIET_MSGFMT   = @echo '   ' MSGFMT $@;
-	QUIET_GCOV     = @echo '   ' GCOV $@;
-	QUIET_SP       = @echo '   ' SP $<;
-	QUIET_HDR      = @echo '   ' HDR $(<:hcc=h);
-	QUIET_RC       = @echo '   ' RC $@;
-	QUIET_SPATCH   = @echo '   ' SPATCH $<;
+	QUIET_CC       = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) CC $@;
+	QUIET_AR       = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) AR $@;
+	QUIET_LINK     = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) LINK $@;
+	QUIET_BUILT_IN = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) BUILTIN $@;
+	QUIET_LNCP     = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) LN/CP $@;
+	QUIET_XGETTEXT = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) XGETTEXT $@;
+	QUIET_MSGFMT   = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) MSGFMT $@;
+	QUIET_GCOV     = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) GCOV $@;
+	QUIET_SP       = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) SP $<;
+	QUIET_HDR      = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) HDR $(<:hcc=h);
+	QUIET_RC       = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) RC $@;
+	QUIET_SPATCH   = @echo $(wspfx_SQ) SPATCH $<;
 
 ## Used in "Documentation/Makefile"
-	QUIET_ASCIIDOC	= @echo '   ' ASCIIDOC $@;
-	QUIET_XMLTO	= @echo '   ' XMLTO $@;
-	QUIET_DB2TEXI	= @echo '   ' DB2TEXI $@;
-	QUIET_MAKEINFO	= @echo '   ' MAKEINFO $@;
-	QUIET_DBLATEX	= @echo '   ' DBLATEX $@;
-	QUIET_XSLTPROC	= @echo '   ' XSLTPROC $@;
-	QUIET_GEN	= @echo '   ' GEN $@;
+	QUIET_ASCIIDOC	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) ASCIIDOC $@;
+	QUIET_XMLTO	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) XMLTO $@;
+	QUIET_DB2TEXI	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) DB2TEXI $@;
+	QUIET_MAKEINFO	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) MAKEINFO $@;
+	QUIET_DBLATEX	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) DBLATEX $@;
+	QUIET_XSLTPROC	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) XSLTPROC $@;
+	QUIET_GEN	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) GEN $@;
 	QUIET_STDERR	= 2> /dev/null
 
-	QUIET_LINT_GITLINK	= @echo '   ' LINT GITLINK $<;
-	QUIET_LINT_MANSEC	= @echo '   ' LINT MAN SEC $<;
-	QUIET_LINT_MANEND	= @echo '   ' LINT MAN END $<;
+	QUIET_LINT_GITLINK	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) LINT GITLINK $<;
+	QUIET_LINT_MANSEC	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) LINT MAN SEC $<;
+	QUIET_LINT_MANEND	= @echo $(wspfx_SQ) LINT MAN END $<;
 
 	export V
 endif