diff --git a/make/dirs.mk b/make/dirs.mk
index d0d6a5ac..632bb651 100644
--- a/make/dirs.mk
+++ b/make/dirs.mk
@@ -91,8 +91,5 @@ dirs.distclean:
 	set -e; for d in $(SUBDIRS) ; do make -wC $$d distclean; done
 	rm -rf $(DISTCLEAN)
 
-.DEFAULT:
-	$(make_dirs)
-
 endif # SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE