diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9e2402d7d9..377737fb28 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -231,15 +231,6 @@ LEGAL_MANIFEST_CSV_HOST = $(LEGAL_INFO_DIR)/host-manifest.csv
 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
@@ -939,6 +930,11 @@ savedefconfig: $(BUILD_DIR)/buildroot-config/conf prepare-kconfig
 #
 ################################################################################
 
+# 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 $@
+
 # outputmakefile generates a Makefile in the output directory, if using a
 # separate output directory. This allows convenient use of make in the
 # output directory.