diff --git a/package/make/make.mk b/package/make/make.mk
index 1471576850..10082353a2 100644
--- a/package/make/make.mk
+++ b/package/make/make.mk
@@ -23,5 +23,9 @@ endif
 HOST_MAKE_DEPENDENCIES = host-pkgconf
 HOST_MAKE_CONF_OPTS = --without-guile
 
+# Configure host-make binary to be 'host-make' to ensure it isn't
+# accidently used by packages when they invoke recursive / sub-make.
+HOST_MAKE_CONF_OPTS += --program-prefix=host-
+
 $(eval $(autotools-package))
 $(eval $(host-autotools-package))
diff --git a/support/dependencies/check-host-make.mk b/support/dependencies/check-host-make.mk
index 4235a393fd..66560ee85c 100644
--- a/support/dependencies/check-host-make.mk
+++ b/support/dependencies/check-host-make.mk
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ BR2_MAKE ?= $(call suitable-host-package,make,\
 	$(BR2_MAKE_VERSION_MIN) $(MAKE))
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_MAKE),)
-BR2_MAKE = $(HOST_DIR)/bin/make -j$(PARALLEL_JOBS)
-BR2_MAKE1 = $(HOST_DIR)/bin/make -j1
+BR2_MAKE = $(HOST_DIR)/bin/host-make -j$(PARALLEL_JOBS)
+BR2_MAKE1 = $(HOST_DIR)/bin/host-make -j1
 BR2_MAKE_HOST_DEPENDENCY = host-make
 else
 BR2_MAKE = $(MAKE)