diff --git a/make/dirs.mk b/make/dirs.mk
index 96e7640a..92fa5761 100644
--- a/make/dirs.mk
+++ b/make/dirs.mk
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ ifneq ($(DONT_CHECK_PREREQ_DONE),true)
 	touch $@
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(filter clean distclean,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+dirs-all.done: $(wildcard $(BUILD_HDRDIR))
+endif
+
 dirs-%.done:
 	touch dirs-started-$*.done
 	set -e; for d in $(SUBDIRS) ; do make -wC $$d $*; done