That is already possible: <http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/automake.html#The-dist-Hook>
I see. Given this, I propose merely changing the definition of am__tar to use variables. Something like: am__tar = $(TAR) $(TAR_OPTIONS) - "$$tardir" where the actual definitions of TAR and TAR_OPTIONS remain as they are now (except possibly always using -options, as I'm replying to separately). That would make it easy for people to change or add anything they want to change, in various ways. I'm not sure if "TAR" and "TAR_OPTIONS" would be the conventional names; any names would do, as far as I'm concerned. k