diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d9ea70ad..6351324b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,23 +1,43 @@
-.PHONY: run doc html clean check regen
+.PHONY: help run doc html clean check test regen
+
+PKGNAME = AutoDoc
+TESTFILE = tst/testall.g
+
+# directory containing this Makefile, so 'make -f path/to/Makefile' works too
+PKGDIR := $(patsubst %/,%,$(dir $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))))
 
 GAP ?= gap
-GAP_ARGS = -q --quitonbreak --packagedirs "$(abspath .);"
+GAP_ARGS = -q --quitonbreak --packagedirs "$(PKGDIR)"
+
+.DEFAULT_GOAL := help
+
+# list every target annotated with a '## description' comment
+help: ## show this help
+	@echo "The following make targets are available:"
+	@awk -F ':.*## ' '/^[a-zA-Z_-]+:.*## / { t[++n] = $$1; d[n] = $$2; if (length($$1) > w) w = length($$1) } \
+		END { for (i = 1; i <= n; i++) printf "  make %-" w "s  %s\n", t[i], d[i] }' $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
+	@echo
+	@echo "To use a different GAP executable than '$(GAP)', set GAP, e.g.:"
+	@echo "  make check GAP=/path/to/gap"
+	@echo "  make check GAP=gap-4.16"
+
+run: ## start GAP and load the package
+	$(GAP) --packagedirs "$(PKGDIR)" -c 'LoadPackage("$(PKGNAME)");'
 
-# run GAP and load the package
-run:
-	$(GAP) --packagedirs "$(abspath .);" -c 'LoadPackage("AutoDoc");'
+# AutoDoc writes into doc/ relative to the current directory
+doc: ## build the documentation (HTML, text and PDF)
+	cd "$(PKGDIR)" && $(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) makedoc.g -c 'QUIT;'
 
-doc:
-	$(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) makedoc.g -c 'QUIT;'
+html: ## build the documentation without PDF
+	cd "$(PKGDIR)" && NOPDF=1 $(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) makedoc.g -c 'QUIT;'
 
-html:
-	NOPDF=1 $(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) makedoc.g -c 'QUIT;'
+clean: ## remove generated documentation files
+	cd "$(PKGDIR)/doc" && rm -f *.aux *.bbl *.blg *.brf *.css *.dvi *.html *.idx *.ilg *.ind *.js *.lab *.log *.out *.pdf *.pnr *.ps *.six *.tex *.toc *.txt *.xml.bib _*.xml title.xml
 
-clean:
-	cd doc && rm -f *.{aux,bbl,blg,brf,css,dvi,html,idx,ilg,ind,js,lab,log,out,pdf,pnr,ps,six,tex,toc,txt,xml.bib} _*.xml title.xml
+check: ## run the test suite
+	$(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) "$(PKGDIR)/$(TESTFILE)"
 
-check:
-	$(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) tst/testall.g
+test: check ## alias for check
 
-regen:
-	$(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) regen_tests.g
+regen: ## regenerate the expected test output
+	cd "$(PKGDIR)" && $(GAP) $(GAP_ARGS) regen_tests.g