diff --git a/LibOS/shim/src/Makefile b/LibOS/shim/src/Makefile
index 018fe09b..3d76d31b 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/src/Makefile
+++ b/LibOS/shim/src/Makefile
@@ -88,10 +88,13 @@ libsysdb_debug.so: $(addsuffix .o,$(filter-out syscallas,$(objs))) \
 	@mkdir -p .lib
 	$(call cmd,ln_sf)
 
-.PHONY: $(graphene_lib)
-$(graphene_lib): .lib/host_endian.h
+.PHONY: graphene_lib_recurse
+graphene_lib_recurse: .lib/host_endian.h
 	$(MAKE) -C ../../../Pal/lib target=$(abspath .lib)/
 
+$(graphene_lib): graphene_lib_recurse
+	@true
+
 libsysdb.a: $(addsuffix .o,$(objs))
 	$(call cmd,ar_a_o)
 else
diff --git a/Pal/src/Makefile b/Pal/src/Makefile
index bcd9004c..31efd587 100644
--- a/Pal/src/Makefile
+++ b/Pal/src/Makefile
@@ -83,14 +83,20 @@ $(LIB_DIR)/host_endian.h: $(HOST_DIR)/host_endian.h
 	@mkdir -p $(LIB_DIR)
 	$(call cmd,ln_sf)
 
-.PHONY: $(host_lib) $(graphene_lib) $(pal_lib)
+.PHONY: host_lib_recurse graphene_lib_recurse
 
-$(graphene_lib): $(LIB_DIR)/host_endian.h
+graphene_lib_recurse: $(LIB_DIR)/host_endian.h
 	$(MAKE) -C ../lib target=$(abspath $(LIB_DIR))/
 
-$(host_lib): $(graphene_lib)
+$(graphene_lib): graphene_lib_recurse
+	@true
+
+host_lib_recurse: $(graphene_lib)
 	@[ ! -d host/$(PAL_HOST) ] || $(MAKE) -C host/$(PAL_HOST)
 
+$(host_lib): host_lib_recurse
+	@true
+
 $(pal_loader): $(host_lib)
 
 $(runtime_loader): $(pal_loader)