diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 7f5c328f20..a7152bd07c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3424,10 +3424,14 @@ $(clients_common_settings_doc_h): clients/common/settings-docs.xsl libnm/nm-prop
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(XSLTPROC) --output $@ $< $(word 2,$^)
 DISTCLEANFILES += $(clients_common_settings_doc_h)
 check-local-settings-docs: $(clients_common_settings_doc_h)
-	@if test -z "$$NMTST_NO_CHECK_SETTINGS_DOCS" ; then  \
+	@if test -z "$$NMTST_NO_CHECK_SETTINGS_DOCS" ; then \
 		if ! cmp -s "$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in" "$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h)" ; then \
-			echo "The generated file \"$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h)\" differs from the source file \"$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in\". You probably should copy the generated file over to the source file. You can skip this test by setting \$$NMTST_NO_CHECK_SETTINGS_DOCS=yes"; \
-			false; \
+			if test "$$NM_TEST_REGENERATE" == 1 ; then \
+				cp -f "$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h)" "$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in"; \
+			else \
+				echo "The generated file \"$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h)\" differs from the source file \"$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in\". You probably should copy the generated file over to the source file. You can skip this test by setting \$$NMTST_NO_CHECK_SETTINGS_DOCS=yes". You can also automatically copy the file by rerunning the test with \$$NM_TEST_REGENERATE=1 ; \
+				false; \
+			fi; \
 		fi;\
 	fi
 check_local += check-local-settings-docs