diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index bdd6d284..c3d2fe02 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -90,13 +90,12 @@ else
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(EXCLUDE_FROM_BUILD),)
-  BUILD_PY_EXTRA_ARGS += --exclude "$(EXCLUDE_FROM_BUILD)"
+  PROJECTS_PY_EXTRA_ARGS += --exclude "$(EXCLUDE_FROM_BUILD)"
 endif
 
 # ------------ external programs II
 
 PGIT                  = CLONE_PROJECTS="$(PROJECTS)" /bin/bash $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/pgit.sh
-BUILD_PY              = python2 $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/projects.py --prefix $(shell pwd) build $(BUILD_PY_EXTRA_ARGS)
 PROJECTS_PY           = python2 $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/projects.py --prefix $(shell pwd) $(PROJECTS_PY_EXTRA_ARGS)
 PURGE_SH              = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/purge-stale-projects.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/purge-stale-projects.sh) purge-not-found)
 RELEASE_SH            = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/build-release.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/build-release.sh) release-not-found)
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ CVS_ADMIN_SH          = JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS="$(JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS)" $(G
 # ------------ targets
   
 all: $(filter-out $(UNAVAILABLE_TARGETS),pull.done links.done)
-	$(BUILD_PY) $@ $(BUILD_PROJECTS)
+	$(PROJECTS_PY) build $@ $(BUILD_PROJECTS)
 clean: clean-dirs done.clean
 distclean: clean-all-dirs done.clean
 install:
@@ -122,13 +121,13 @@ install:
 	@exit 1
 
 build-order: $(filter-out $(UNAVAILABLE_TARGETS),pull.done)
-	$(BUILD_PY) order $(BUILD_PROJECTS) $(BUILD_PY_EXTRA_ARGS) | sed 's/  */\n/g'
+	$(PROJECTS_PY) build order $(BUILD_PROJECTS) $(PROJECTS_PY_EXTRA_ARGS) | sed 's/  */\n/g'
 
 clean-dirs:
-	if [ -n "$(wildcard */*.done)" ]; then ls */*.done 2>/dev/null | sed 's%/.*%%' | xargs -r $(BUILD_PY) --exclude "" clean; fi
+	if [ -n "$(wildcard */*.done)" ]; then ls */*.done 2>/dev/null | sed 's%/.*%%' | xargs -r $(PROJECTS_PY) build --exclude "" clean; fi
 
 clean-all-dirs:
-	$(BUILD_PY) clean $(PROJECTS)
+	$(PROJECTS_PY) build clean $(PROJECTS)
 
 echo-prereq-build:
 	@$(PROJECTS_PY) requires-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours "build" $(BUILD_PROJECTS)
@@ -174,7 +173,7 @@ pkg-init-%:
 	$(CREATE_PROJECT_SH) $*
 
 pkg-%: $(filter-out $(UNAVAILABLE_TARGETS),pull.done)
-	$(BUILD_PY) $@ $(BUILD_PROJECTS)
+	$(PROJECTS_PY) build $@ $(BUILD_PROJECTS)
 
 doc-project doc-module:
 	$(BROWSER) $(firstword $(shell sed '/https:/ !d; s%.*https%https%; s/ .*//' $(firstword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))