diff --git a/system/system.mk b/system/system.mk
index 01a6c3a62..b6146158d 100644
--- a/system/system.mk
+++ b/system/system.mk
@@ -7,68 +7,74 @@ TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_BAUDRATE = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_BAUDRAT
 TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_TERM = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_TERM))
 TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_OPTIONS = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_OPTIONS))
 
-target-generic-securetty:
+ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY),y)
+define SYSTEM_SECURETTY
 	grep -q '^$(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT)$$' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/securetty || \
 		echo '$(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT)' >> $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/securetty
+endef
+TARGET_FINALIZE_HOOKS += SYSTEM_SECURETTY
+endif
 
-target-generic-hostname:
+ifneq ($(TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME),)
+define SYSTEM_HOSTNAME
 	mkdir -p $(TARGET_DIR)/etc
 	echo "$(TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME)" > $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/hostname
 	$(SED) '$$a \127.0.1.1\t$(TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME)' \
 		-e '/^127.0.1.1/d' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/hosts
-
-target-generic-issue:
-	mkdir -p $(TARGET_DIR)/etc
-	echo "$(TARGET_GENERIC_ISSUE)" > $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/issue
-
-ifneq ($(TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD),)
-target-root-passwd: host-mkpasswd
-endif
-target-root-passwd:
-	[ -n "$(TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD)" ] && \
-		TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD_HASH=$$($(MKPASSWD) -m "$(TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD)" "$(TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD)"); \
-	$(SED) "s,^root:[^:]*:,root:$$TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD_HASH:," $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/shadow
-
-target-generic-getty-busybox:
-	$(SED) '/# GENERIC_SERIAL$$/s~^.*#~$(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT)::respawn:/sbin/getty -L $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_OPTIONS) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_BAUDRATE) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_TERM) #~' \
-		$(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
-
-# In sysvinit inittab, the "id" must not be longer than 4 bytes, so we
-# skip the "tty" part and keep only the remaining.
-target-generic-getty-sysvinit:
-	$(SED) '/# GENERIC_SERIAL$$/s~^.*#~$(shell echo $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT) | tail -c+4)::respawn:/sbin/getty -L $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_OPTIONS) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_BAUDRATE) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_TERM) #~' \
-		$(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
-
-# Find commented line, if any, and remove leading '#'s
-target-generic-do-remount-rw:
-	$(SED) '/^#.*# REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW$$/s~^#\+~~' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
-
-# Find uncommented line, if any, and add a leading '#'
-target-generic-dont-remount-rw:
-	$(SED) '/^[^#].*# REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW$$/s~^~#~' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
-
-ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY),y)
-TARGETS += target-generic-securetty
-endif
-
-ifneq ($(TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME),)
-TARGETS += target-generic-hostname
+endef
+TARGET_FINALIZE_HOOKS += SYSTEM_HOSTNAME
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(TARGET_GENERIC_ISSUE),)
-TARGETS += target-generic-issue
+define SYSTEM_ISSUE
+	mkdir -p $(TARGET_DIR)/etc
+	echo "$(TARGET_GENERIC_ISSUE)" > $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/issue
+endef
+TARGET_FINALIZE_HOOKS += SYSTEM_ISSUE
+endif
+
+ifneq ($(TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD),)
+TARGETS += host-mkpasswd
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_ROOTFS_SKELETON_DEFAULT),y)
-TARGETS += target-root-passwd
+
+define SYSTEM_ROOT_PASSWD
+	[ -n "$(TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD)" ] && \
+		TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD_HASH=$$($(MKPASSWD) -m "$(TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD)" "$(TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD)"); \
+	$(SED) "s,^root:[^:]*:,root:$$TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD_HASH:," $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/shadow
+endef
+TARGET_FINALIZE_HOOKS += SYSTEM_ROOT_PASSWD
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY),y)
-TARGETS += target-generic-getty-$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_SYSVINIT),sysvinit,busybox)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_SYSVINIT),y)
+# In sysvinit inittab, the "id" must not be longer than 4 bytes, so we
+# skip the "tty" part and keep only the remaining.
+define SYSTEM_GETTY
+	$(SED) '/# GENERIC_SERIAL$$/s~^.*#~$(shell echo $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT) | tail -c+4)::respawn:/sbin/getty -L $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_OPTIONS) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_BAUDRATE) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_TERM) #~' \
+		$(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
+endef
+else
+# Add getty to busybox inittab
+define SYSTEM_GETTY
+	$(SED) '/# GENERIC_SERIAL$$/s~^.*#~$(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT)::respawn:/sbin/getty -L $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_OPTIONS) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_BAUDRATE) $(TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_TERM) #~' \
+		$(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
+endef
+endif
+TARGET_FINALIZE_HOOKS += SYSTEM_GETTY
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW),y)
-TARGETS += target-generic-do-remount-rw
+# Find commented line, if any, and remove leading '#'s
+define SYSTEM_REMOUNT_RW
+	$(SED) '/^#.*# REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW$$/s~^#\+~~' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
+endef
 else
-TARGETS += target-generic-dont-remount-rw
-endif
+# Find uncommented line, if any, and add a leading '#'
+define SYSTEM_REMOUNT_RW
+	$(SED) '/^[^#].*# REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW$$/s~^~#~' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
+endef
 endif
+TARGET_FINALIZE_HOOKS += SYSTEM_REMOUNT_RW
+
+endif # BR2_ROOTFS_SKELETON_DEFAULT