diff --git a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.11.6.ebuild b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.11.6.ebuild
index 11adfe551dc7f..4b5065cf1f47b 100644
--- a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.11.6.ebuild
+++ b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.11.6.ebuild
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ src_compile() {
 src_install() {
 	default
 
+	# dissuade Portage from removing our dir file
+	touch "${ED}"/usr/share/${P}/info/.keepinfodir || die
+
 	rm \
 		"${ED}"/usr/bin/{aclocal,automake}-vanilla \
 		"${ED}"/usr/share/man/man1/{aclocal,automake}-vanilla.1 || die
diff --git a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.15.1.ebuild b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.15.1.ebuild
index 23a511fb8f6bb..dd59ac0ef1290 100644
--- a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.15.1.ebuild
+++ b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.15.1.ebuild
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ src_configure() {
 src_install() {
 	default
 
+	# dissuade Portage from removing our dir file
+	touch "${ED}"/usr/share/${P}/info/.keepinfodir || die
+
 	#rm "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal/README || die
 	#rmdir "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal || die
 	rm \
diff --git a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.16.5.ebuild b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.16.5.ebuild
index ed6f30024c7e3..25e50d5e1f615 100644
--- a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.16.5.ebuild
+++ b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.16.5.ebuild
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ src_test() {
 src_install() {
 	default
 
+	# dissuade Portage from removing our dir file
+	touch "${ED}"/usr/share/${P}/info/.keepinfodir || die
+
 	#rm "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal/README || die
 	#rmdir "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal || die
 	rm \
diff --git a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.17.ebuild b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.17.ebuild
index 106971543159e..e79a84c4a6689 100644
--- a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.17.ebuild
+++ b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.17.ebuild
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ src_test() {
 src_install() {
 	default
 
+	# dissuade Portage from removing our dir file
+	touch "${ED}"/usr/share/${P}/info/.keepinfodir || die
+
 	#rm "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal/README || die
 	#rmdir "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal || die
 	rm \
diff --git a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.1.ebuild b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.1.ebuild
index da09d71579b2f..62b78a01f445b 100644
--- a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.1.ebuild
+++ b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.1.ebuild
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ src_test() {
 src_install() {
 	default
 
+	# dissuade Portage from removing our dir file
+	touch "${ED}"/usr/share/${P}/info/.keepinfodir || die
+
 	#rm "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal/README || die
 	#rmdir "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal || die
 	rm \
diff --git a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.ebuild b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.ebuild
index da09d71579b2f..62b78a01f445b 100644
--- a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.ebuild
+++ b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-1.18.ebuild
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ src_test() {
 src_install() {
 	default
 
+	# dissuade Portage from removing our dir file
+	touch "${ED}"/usr/share/${P}/info/.keepinfodir || die
+
 	#rm "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal/README || die
 	#rmdir "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal || die
 	rm \
diff --git a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-9999.ebuild b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-9999.ebuild
index 12cc02d4e9e5c..a85a731adb171 100644
--- a/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-9999.ebuild
+++ b/dev-build/automake-vanilla/automake-vanilla-9999.ebuild
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ src_test() {
 src_install() {
 	default
 
+	# dissuade Portage from removing our dir file
+	touch "${ED}"/usr/share/${P}/info/.keepinfodir || die
+
 	#rm "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal/README || die
 	#rmdir "${ED}"/usr/share/aclocal || die
 	rm \