diff --git a/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl b/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl
index 1c5f58af25..d449a42895 100644
--- a/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl
+++ b/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl
@@ -200,9 +200,14 @@ NODEBUG=@
 
 # The main targets ###################################################
 
-all : descrip.mms, $(LIBS), $(ENGINES), $(PROGRAMS), $(SCRIPTS), $(TESTPROGS)
+all : descrip.mms, build_libs, build_engines, build_apps
 
-test tests : $(TESTPROGS), rehash
+build_libs : $(LIBS)
+build_engines : $(ENGINES)
+build_apps : $(PROGRAMS), $(SCRIPTS)
+build_tests : $(TESTPROGS)
+
+test tests : build_tests, rehash
         SET DEFAULT [.test]{- move("test") -}
         DEFINE SRCTOP {- sourcedir() -}
         DEFINE BLDTOP {- builddir() -}
diff --git a/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl b/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl
index 84b3630c53..fe524e187b 100644
--- a/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl
+++ b/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl
@@ -143,9 +143,15 @@ PROCESSOR= {- $config{processor} -}
 
 # The main targets ###################################################
 
-all: Makefile libcrypto.pc libssl.pc openssl.pc $(ENGINES) $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS) $(TESTPROGS) link-utils
+all: build_libs build_engines build_apps link-utils
 
-test tests: $(TESTPROGS) rehash
+# The pkg-config files depend on the libraries as well as Makefile
+build_libs: libcrypto.pc libssl.pc openssl.pc
+build_engines: $(ENGINES)
+build_apps: $(PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPTS)
+build_tests: $(TESTPROGS)
+
+test tests: build_tests rehash
 	( cd test; \
 	  SRCTOP=../$(SRCDIR) \
 	  BLDTOP=../$(BLDDIR) \
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index ad51e76c0c..cc2c0b520d 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ INSTALLDIRS=	\
 		$(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/certs \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/private
 
-all: Makefile build_all
+all: Makefile build_all_but_tests
 
 # as we stick to -e, CLEARENV ensures that local variables in lower
 # Makefiles remain local and variable. $${VAR+VAR} is tribute to Korn
@@ -311,7 +311,8 @@ reflect:
 
 sub_all: build_all
 
-build_all: build_libs build_apps build_tests build_tools
+build_all_but_tests: build_libs build_apps build_tools
+build_all: build_all_but_tests build_tests
 
 build_libs: build_libcrypto build_libssl openssl.pc
 
@@ -477,7 +478,7 @@ rehash.time: certs build_apps build_tools
 test:   files tests
 
 
-tests: rehash
+tests:  build_tests rehash
 	@(cd test && echo "testing..." && \
 	$(CLEARENV) && $(MAKE) -e $(BUILDENV) TOP=.. TESTS='$(TESTS)' OPENSSL_DEBUG_MEMORY=on OPENSSL_CONF=../apps/openssl.cnf tests );
 	@if [ -z "$(CROSS_COMPILE)" ]; then \