diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index af454789..41fd8cdb 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -33,10 +33,6 @@ EXCLUDE_FROM_BUILD   += \
 
 # ------------ evaluate Makefile and environment variables
 
-ifneq ($(PROJECTS),)
-  export PGIT_CLONE_PROJECTS = $(PROJECTS)
-endif
-
 ifneq ($(wildcard $(PROJECTS_TXT)),)
   PROJECTS ?= $(shell cat $(PROJECTS_TXT) | sed '/^ *\#/ d')
   # TODO: this could be nicer
@@ -46,6 +42,10 @@ else
   CVS_PROJECTS = $(filter $(dir $(wildcard */CVS)),$(PROJECTS))
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(PROJECTS),)
+  export PGIT_CLONE_PROJECTS = $(PROJECTS)
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(JW_BUILD_VERBOSE),true)
   SSH_WRAPPER_TRACE  ?= -x
 endif