diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 305fb06..217936d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,28 +1,50 @@
-emotes_target = "/usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes"
-emotes_src = "emotes/src"
-emotes_theme = "emotes/elementary"
-status_dir = "~/.purple/themes/elementary"
-status_theme = "status-icons/purple"
-
-convert:
-	for icon in $(emotes_src)/*.svg; do \
-		inkscape -z $$icon -e $${icon%%.*}.png; \
-	done
-	mv $(emotes_src)/*.png $(emotes_theme)
+emotes_target = /usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes
+emotes_src = emotes/src
+emotes_theme = emotes/elementary
+status_dir = ~/.purple/themes/elementary
+status_theme = status-icons/purple
+status_theme_src = status-icons/src
+status_theme_dst = status-icons/purple/status-icon
+
+convert: convert-emotes convert-status
+
+all_emote_svgs = $(wildcard $(emotes_src)/*.svg)
+all_emote_pngs = $(subst $(emotes_src),$(emotes_theme),$(all_emote_svgs:%.svg=%.png))
+
+convert-emotes: $(all_emote_pngs)
+
+#special "out of tree" build
+$(emotes_theme)/%.png: $(emotes_src)/%.svg
+	inkscape -z $< -e $@
+
+all_status_svgs = $(shell find $(status_theme_src) -type f -name '*.svg')
+all_status_pngs = $(subst $(status_theme_src),$(status_theme_dst),$(all_status_svgs:%.svg=%.png))
+
+convert-status: $(all_status_pngs)
+
+#special "out of tree" build
+$(status_theme_dst)/%.png: $(status_theme_src)/%.svg
+	inkscape -z $< -e $@
+
+check-root:
+	@[ $$(id -u) -eq 0 ] || (echo "-- You need to be root for this to work\n" ; exit 1)
 
 install: install-emotes install-status
 
-install-emotes:
+install-emotes: check-root convert-emotes
 	cp -r $(emotes_theme) $(emotes_target)
 
-install-status:
-	mkdir -p $(status_dir)
-	cp -r $(status_theme) $(status_dir)
+install-status: check-root convert-status
+	sudo --user $$(SUDO_USER) mkdir -p $(status_dir)
+	sudo --user $$(SUDO_USER) cp -r $(status_theme) $(status_dir)
 
 uninstall: uninstall-emotes uninstall-status
 
-uninstall-emotes:
+uninstall-emotes: check-root
 	test -e $(emotes_target)/elementary && rm -rfv $(emotes_target)/elementary
 
-uninstall-status:
+uninstall-status: check-root
 	test -e $(status_dir) && rm -rfv $(status_dir)
+
+clean:
+	rm -f $(all_emote_pngs) $(all_status_pngs)