diff --git a/package/glibc/glibc.mk b/package/glibc/glibc.mk
index f50b4591bc..6579f4616b 100644
--- a/package/glibc/glibc.mk
+++ b/package/glibc/glibc.mk
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ GLIBC_ADD_TOOLCHAIN_DEPENDENCY = NO
 # cross-compiler and the kernel headers
 GLIBC_DEPENDENCIES = host-gcc-initial linux-headers host-gawk
 
-# Before (e)glibc is built, we must have the second stage cross-compiler
-glibc-build: host-gcc-intermediate
-
 GLIBC_SUBDIR = build
 
 GLIBC_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
@@ -142,3 +139,6 @@ define GLIBC_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
 endef
 
 $(eval $(autotools-package))
+
+# Before (e)glibc is built, we must have the second stage cross-compiler
+$(GLIBC_TARGET_BUILD): | host-gcc-intermediate
diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index b135b140ea..fec16b0cb2 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -412,30 +412,42 @@ $(1)-install:		$(1)-install-staging $(1)-install-target $(1)-install-images
 endif
 
 ifeq ($$($(2)_INSTALL_TARGET),YES)
-$(1)-install-target:	$(1)-build \
-			$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_TARGET)
+$(1)-install-target:		$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_TARGET)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_TARGET):	$$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD)
 else
 $(1)-install-target:
 endif
 
 ifeq ($$($(2)_INSTALL_STAGING),YES)
-$(1)-install-staging:	$(1)-build \
-			$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_STAGING)
+$(1)-install-staging:			$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_STAGING)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_STAGING):	$$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD)
+# Some packages use install-staging stuff for install-target
+$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_TARGET):		$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_STAGING)
 else
 $(1)-install-staging:
 endif
 
 ifeq ($$($(2)_INSTALL_IMAGES),YES)
-$(1)-install-images:	$(1)-build \
-			$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_IMAGES)
+$(1)-install-images:		$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_IMAGES)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_IMAGES):	$$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD)
 else
 $(1)-install-images:
 endif
 
-$(1)-install-host:      $(1)-build $$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_HOST)
+$(1)-install-host:      	$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_HOST)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_HOST):	$$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD)
 
-$(1)-build:		$(1)-configure \
-			$$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD)
+$(1)-build:		$$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD):	$$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE)
+
+# Since $(2)_DEPENDENCIES are phony targets, they are always "newer"
+# than $(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE. This would force the configure step (and
+# therefore the other steps as well) to be re-executed with every
+# invocation of make.  Therefore, make $(2)_DEPENDENCIES an order-only
+# dependency by using |.
+
+$(1)-configure:			$$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE):	| $$($(2)_DEPENDENCIES)
 
 $$($(2)_TARGET_SOURCE) $$($(2)_TARGET_RSYNC): | dirs prepare
 ifeq ($(filter $(1),$(DEPENDENCIES_HOST_PREREQ)),)
@@ -449,13 +461,13 @@ ifeq ($$($(2)_OVERRIDE_SRCDIR),)
 #  extract
 #  patch
 #  configure
-$(1)-configure:		$(1)-patch $(1)-depends \
-			$$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE):	$$($(2)_TARGET_PATCH)
 
-$(1)-patch:		$(1)-extract $$($(2)_TARGET_PATCH)
+$(1)-patch:		$$($(2)_TARGET_PATCH)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_PATCH):	$$($(2)_TARGET_EXTRACT)
 
-$(1)-extract:		$(1)-source \
-			$$($(2)_TARGET_EXTRACT)
+$(1)-extract:			$$($(2)_TARGET_EXTRACT)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_EXTRACT):	$$($(2)_TARGET_SOURCE)
 
 $(1)-depends:		$$($(2)_DEPENDENCIES)
 
@@ -465,10 +477,9 @@ else
 #  source, by rsyncing
 #  depends
 #  configure
-$(1)-configure:		$(1)-depends \
-			$$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE)
+$$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE):	$$($(2)_TARGET_RSYNC)
 
-$(1)-depends:		$(1)-rsync $$($(2)_DEPENDENCIES)
+$(1)-depends:		$$($(2)_DEPENDENCIES)
 
 $(1)-patch:		$(1)-rsync
 $(1)-extract:		$(1)-rsync
diff --git a/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk b/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
index ea1c6946a1..4860c580e3 100644
--- a/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
+++ b/package/uclibc/uclibc.mk
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@ UCLIBC_ADD_TOOLCHAIN_DEPENDENCY = NO
 # cross-compiler and the kernel headers
 UCLIBC_DEPENDENCIES = host-gcc-initial linux-headers
 
-# Before uClibc is built, we must have the second stage cross-compiler
-uclibc-build: host-gcc-intermediate
-
 # specifying UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE on the command-line overrides the .config
 # setting.
 ifndef UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE
@@ -556,3 +553,6 @@ uclibc-menuconfig: dirs uclibc-patch
 	rm -f $(UCLIBC_DIR)/.stamp_{configured,built,target_installed,staging_installed}
 
 $(eval $(generic-package))
+
+# Before uClibc is built, we must have the second stage cross-compiler
+$(UCLIBC_TARGET_BUILD): | host-gcc-intermediate