diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e0be636c2..3983fce9b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ noconfig_targets := menuconfig nconfig gconfig xconfig config oldconfig randconf
 # We're building in two situations: when MAKECMDGOALS is empty
 # (default target is to build), or when MAKECMDGOALS contains
 # something else than one of the nobuild_targets.
-nobuild_targets := source
+nobuild_targets := source source-check \
+	legal-info external-deps _external-deps \
+	clean distclean
 ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),)
 BR_BUILDING = y
 else ifneq ($(filter-out $(nobuild_targets),$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)