diff --git a/make/subdirs.mk b/make/subdirs.mk
index 42393460..845c5cee 100644
--- a/make/subdirs.mk
+++ b/make/subdirs.mk
@@ -1,29 +1,10 @@
-all: all.dirs
-install: install.dirs
-clean: clean.dirs clean.var
-distclean: distclean.dirs distclean.var
-test: test.dirs
+all:
+clean: clean.var
+distclean: clean.var distclean.var
 
+all install clean distclean test:
 ifneq ($(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE),)
-all.dirs:
-	set -e; for dir in $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE); do make -C $$dir all; done
-install.dirs:
-	set -e; for dir in $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE); do make -C $$dir install; done
-clean.dirs:
-	set -e; for dir in $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE); do make -C $$dir clean; done
-	rm -f *.done
-distclean.dirs:
-	set -e; for dir in $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE); do make -C $$dir distclean; done
-test.dirs:
-	set -e; for dir in $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE); do make -C $$dir test; done
-
-else
-
-all.dirs:
-install.dirs:
-clean.dirs:
-distclean.dirs:
-
+	set -e; for dir in $(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE); do make -C $$dir $@; done
 endif
 
 clean.var: