diff --git a/target/tar/Config.in b/target/tar/Config.in
index 020965480a..ae024094ac 100644
--- a/target/tar/Config.in
+++ b/target/tar/Config.in
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 config BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_TAR
 	bool "tar the root filesystem"
-	select BR2_HOST_FAKEROOT
 	help
 	  Build a tar archive of the root filesystem
 
diff --git a/target/tar/tarroot.mk b/target/tar/tarroot.mk
index a7e95df98e..d082672ced 100644
--- a/target/tar/tarroot.mk
+++ b/target/tar/tarroot.mk
@@ -48,12 +48,6 @@ ifneq ($(ROOTFS_TAR_COPYTO),)
 endif
 	-@rm -f $(BUILD_DIR)/_fakeroot.$(notdir $(TAR_TARGET))
 
-tarroot-source:
-
-tarroot-clean:
-
-tarroot-dirclean:
-
 #############################################################
 #
 # Toplevel Makefile options