(Based on complaint on IRC)

If building with automake < 1.11, then:

GIR_VERBOSE = $(GIR_VERBOSE_$(V))
GIR_VERBOSE_ = $(GIR_VERBOSE_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
GIR_VERBOSE_0 = @echo GIR $@;

Makefile:537: *** Recursive variable `GIR_VERBOSE_' references itself (eventually).  Stop.

Because AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY is not set.

Various solutions occur to me:

1)

DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=$(if $(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY),$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY),1)
GIR_VERBOSE_ = $(GIR_VERBOSE_$(DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))

2)

m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES],[AM_SILENT_RULES([no])],
         [AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=1
          AC_SUBST(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY)])

3)

Just drop GIR_VERBOSE and use the straight-up GEN for .gir files

I haven't tested any of them though I'm pretty sure 3 will work :-)