diff --git a/make/dirs.mk b/make/dirs.mk
index 724be8ba..187aaea6 100644
--- a/make/dirs.mk
+++ b/make/dirs.mk
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ ifneq ($(DONT_CHECK_PREREQ_PROJECTS),true)
 endif
 
 # explicit duplication of pattern-rule is needed, otherwise .PHONY: dirs-all.done won't match
-dirs-all.done:
+dirs-all.done: $(PREREQ_DIRS_DONE)
 	touch started-dirs-all.done
 	set -e; for d in $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE) ; do make -wC $$d $*; done
 ifneq ($(DONT_CHECK_PREREQ_DONE),true)
diff --git a/make/topdir.mk b/make/topdir.mk
index 707e3146..1b28c55b 100644
--- a/make/topdir.mk
+++ b/make/topdir.mk
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/defs.mk
 REMOTE_GIT_DIR               = /srv/git/$(JANWARE_USER)/$(REMOTE_GIT_FLAVOUR)/$(PROJECT)
 REMOTE_GIT_URL               = ssh://$(JANWARE_USER_PREFIX)git.janware.com$(REMOTE_GIT_DIR)
 
-include $(JWBDIR)/make/dirs.mk
-
 ifneq ($(DONT_CHECK_PREREQ_DONE),true)
   ifndef PREREQ
     PREREQ                  := $(call proj_query,pkg-requires --no-version --no-subpackages --subsections=jw --delimiter=' ' build $(PROJECT))
@@ -59,6 +57,7 @@ ifneq ($(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE),)
 
 endif
 
+include $(JWBDIR)/make/dirs.mk
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/rpmdist.mk
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/rules.mk
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/doc-rules.mk