diff --git a/make/dirs.mk b/make/dirs.mk
index 7309b9b3..857715cf 100644
--- a/make/dirs.mk
+++ b/make/dirs.mk
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ distclean: dirs.clean dirs.distclean
 
 .PHONY: $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE) all install clean distclean test
 
+%/dirs-all.done:
+	echo $@ needs to be rebuilt
+	exit 1
+
 dirs-%.done:
 	set -e; for d in $(SUBDIRS) ; do make -wC $$d $*; done
 	touch $@