diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6ea11ce9d..aab6f6b3d 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ script:
 
 after_failure:
   ## `make check` will leave a log file with more details of test failures.
-  - cat test-suite.log
+  - if [[ "$DISTCHECK" == "" ]]; then cat test-suite.log; fi
+  ## `make distcheck` puts it somewhere different.
+  - if [[ "$DISTCHECK" != "" ]]; then make show-distdir-testlog; fi
 
 after_success:
   ## If this build was one that produced coverage, upload it.
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 163b650bb..97a39031a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -274,3 +274,11 @@ if USE_RUST
 distclean-local: distclean-rust
 endif
 
+# This relies on some internal details of how automake implements
+# distcheck.  We check two directories because automake-1.15 changed
+# from $(distdir)/_build to $(distdir)/_build/sub.
+show-distdir-testlog:
+	@if test -d "$(distdir)/_build/sub"; then \
+	  cat $(distdir)/_build/sub/$(TEST_SUITE_LOG); \
+	else \
+	  cat $(distdir)/_build/$(TEST_SUITE_LOG); fi