diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d1298d8ee2..c9865a6402 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -200,6 +200,15 @@ LEGAL_LICENSES_TXT_HOST = $(LEGAL_INFO_DIR)/host-licenses.txt
 LEGAL_WARNINGS = $(LEGAL_INFO_DIR)/.warnings
 LEGAL_REPORT = $(LEGAL_INFO_DIR)/README
 
+################################################################################
+#
+# staging and target directories do NOT list these as
+# dependencies anywhere else
+#
+################################################################################
+$(BUILD_DIR) $(TARGET_DIR) $(HOST_DIR) $(BINARIES_DIR) $(LEGAL_INFO_DIR) $(REDIST_SOURCES_DIR_TARGET) $(REDIST_SOURCES_DIR_HOST):
+	@mkdir -p $@
+
 BR2_CONFIG = $(CONFIG_DIR)/.config
 
 # Pull in the user's configuration file
@@ -496,15 +505,6 @@ world: target-post-image
 	legal-info legal-info-prepare legal-info-clean printvars help \
 	list-defconfigs target-finalize target-post-image source-check
 
-################################################################################
-#
-# staging and target directories do NOT list these as
-# dependencies anywhere else
-#
-################################################################################
-$(BUILD_DIR) $(TARGET_DIR) $(HOST_DIR) $(BINARIES_DIR) $(LEGAL_INFO_DIR) $(REDIST_SOURCES_DIR_TARGET) $(REDIST_SOURCES_DIR_HOST):
-	@mkdir -p $@
-
 # Populating the staging with the base directories is handled by the skeleton package
 $(STAGING_DIR):
 	@mkdir -p $(STAGING_DIR)