diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index cdc7b6e2d..72a3be2b6 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -123,5 +123,5 @@ source "target/linux/*/image/Config.in"
 
 endmenu
 
-source "tmp/.config.in"
+source "tmp/.config-package.in"
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 05c4f450e..414a15278 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -41,27 +41,27 @@ export OPENWRTVERSION
 
 ifeq ($(FORCE),)
   .config scripts/config/conf scripts/config/mconf: tmp/.prereq-build
-  world: tmp/.prereq-packages tmp/.prereq-target
+  world: tmp/.prereq-package tmp/.prereq-target
 endif
 
-tmp/.pkginfo: FORCE
-	@mkdir -p tmp/info
-	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s -f include/scan.mk SCAN_TARGET="pkginfo" SCAN_DIR="package" SCAN_NAME="package" SCAN_DEPS="$(shell ls include/package*.mk) include/kernel.mk" SCAN_EXTRA=""
+package/%/Makefile: ;
+target/%/Makefile: ;
 
-tmp/.targetinfo: FORCE
+tmp/.packageinfo: $(wildcard package/*/Makefile include/package*.mk include/kernel.mk) 
+tmp/.targetinfo: $(wildcard target/*/Makefile include/kernel*.mk)
+tmp/.%info:
 	@mkdir -p tmp/info
-	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s -f include/scan.mk SCAN_TARGET="targetinfo" SCAN_DIR="target/linux" SCAN_NAME="target" SCAN_DEPS="$(shell ls include/kernel*.mk)" SCAN_EXTRA=""
+	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s -f include/scan.mk SCAN_TARGET="$*info" SCAN_DIR="$(patsubst target,target/linux,$*)" SCAN_NAME="$*" SCAN_DEPS="$^" SCAN_EXTRA=""
 
 tmpinfo-clean: FORCE
-	@-rm -rf tmp/.pkginfo tmp/.targetinfo
+	@-rm -rf tmp/.*info
 
-tmp/.config.in: tmp/.pkginfo
-	@./scripts/metadata.pl package_config < $< > $@ || rm -f $@
+tmp/.config-%.in: tmp/.%info
+	@./scripts/metadata.pl $*_config < $< > $@ || rm -f $@
 
-tmp/.config-target.in: tmp/.targetinfo
-	@./scripts/metadata.pl target_config < $< > $@ || rm -f $@
 
-.config: ./scripts/config/conf tmp/.config.in tmp/.config-target.in
+
+.config: ./scripts/config/conf tmp/.config-target.in tmp/.config-package.in
 	@[ -f .config ] || $(NO_TRACE_MAKE) menuconfig
 	@$< -D .config Config.in &> /dev/null
 
@@ -71,42 +71,34 @@ scripts/config/mconf:
 scripts/config/conf:
 	@$(MAKE) -C scripts/config conf
 
-config: scripts/config/conf tmp/.config.in tmp/.config-target.in FORCE
+
+
+config: scripts/config/conf tmp/.config-target.in tmp/.config-package.in FORCE
 	$< Config.in
 
 config-clean: FORCE
 	$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -C scripts/config clean
 
-defconfig: scripts/config/conf tmp/.config.in tmp/.config-target.in FORCE
+defconfig: scripts/config/conf tmp/.config-target.in tmp/.config-package.in FORCE
 	touch .config
 	$< -D .config Config.in
 
-oldconfig: scripts/config/conf tmp/.config.in tmp/.config-target.in FORCE
+oldconfig: scripts/config/conf tmp/.config-target.in tmp/.config-package.in FORCE
 	$< -o Config.in
 
-menuconfig: scripts/config/mconf tmp/.config.in tmp/.config-target.in FORCE
+menuconfig: scripts/config/mconf tmp/.config-target.in tmp/.config-package.in FORCE
 	$< Config.in
 
 kernel_menuconfig: .config FORCE
 	-$(MAKE) target/linux-prepare
 	$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -C target/linux menuconfig
 
-scan_packages:
-	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s tmp/.pkginfo tmp/.targetinfo
-	
 
-package/%: scan_packages
-	$(MAKE) -C package $(patsubst package/%,%,$@)
+package/% target/%: tmp/.packageinfo
+toolchain/% package/% target/%: tmp/.targetinfo
+package/% target/% tools/% toolchain/%: FORCE
+	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %/$*,%,$@) $*
 
-target/%: scan_packages
-	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s tmp/.pkginfo tmp/.targetinfo
-	$(MAKE) -C target $(patsubst target/%,%,$@)
-
-tools/%: FORCE
-	$(MAKE) -C tools $(patsubst tools/%,%,$@)
-
-toolchain/%: tmp/.targetinfo FORCE
-	$(MAKE) -C toolchain $(patsubst toolchain/%,%,$@)
 
 tmp/.prereq-build: include/prereq-build.mk
 	@mkdir -p tmp
@@ -117,25 +109,16 @@ tmp/.prereq-build: include/prereq-build.mk
 	}
 	@touch $@
 
-tmp/.prereq-packages: include/prereq.mk tmp/.pkginfo .config
+tmp/.prereq-%: include/prereq.mk tmp/.%info .config
 	@mkdir -p tmp
 	@rm -f tmp/.host.mk
-	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s -C package prereq 2>/dev/null || { \
+	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s -C $* prereq 2>/dev/null || { \
 		echo "Prerequisite check failed. Use FORCE=1 to override."; \
 		false; \
 	}
 	@touch $@
 
-tmp/.prereq-target: include/prereq.mk tmp/.targetinfo .config
-	@mkdir -p tmp
-	@rm -f tmp/.host.mk
-	@$(NO_TRACE_MAKE) -s -C target prereq 2>/dev/null || { \
-		echo "Prerequisite check failed. Use FORCE=1 to override."; \
-		false; \
-	}
-	@touch $@
-
-prereq: tmp/.prereq-build tmp/.prereq-packages tmp/.prereq-target FORCE
+prereq: tmp/.prereq-build tmp/.prereq-package tmp/.prereq-target FORCE
 
 download: .config FORCE
 	$(MAKE) tools/download
@@ -173,7 +156,6 @@ docclean:
 symlinkclean:
 	find package -type l -exec rm -f {} +
 
-.SILENT: clean dirclean distclean symlinkclean config-clean download world
+.SILENT: clean dirclean distclean symlinkclean config-clean download world help
 FORCE: ;
 .PHONY: FORCE help
-%: ;
diff --git a/include/scan.mk b/include/scan.mk
index aa7c2e74b..5bbfce566 100644
--- a/include/scan.mk
+++ b/include/scan.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 include $(TOPDIR)/include/verbose.mk
 
-SCAN_TARGET ?= pkginfo
+SCAN_TARGET ?= packageinfo
 SCAN_NAME ?= package
 SCAN_DIR ?= package
 SCAN_DEPS ?= include/package.mk
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ else
   endef
 endif
 
-SCAN = $(patsubst $(SCAN_DIR)/%/Makefile,%,$(shell ls $(SCAN_DIR)/*/Makefile))
+SCAN = $(patsubst $(SCAN_DIR)/%/Makefile,%,$(wildcard $(SCAN_DIR)/*/Makefile))
 tmp/.$(SCAN_TARGET):
 	@($(call progress,Collecting $(SCAN_NAME) info: merging...))
 	for file in $(SCAN); do \
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ $(SCAN_STAMP):
 endif
 
 # FIXME: generate this dynamically?
-ifeq ($(SCAN_TARGET),pkginfo)
-tmp/info/.pkginfo-kernel: $(shell ls package/kernel/modules/*.mk)
+ifeq ($(SCAN_TARGET),packageinfo)
+tmp/info/.packageinfo-kernel: $(wildcard package/kernel/modules/*.mk)
 endif
 
 define scanfiles
diff --git a/package/Makefile b/package/Makefile
index 06e91042b..9b8f87292 100644
--- a/package/Makefile
+++ b/package/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host.mk
 
 all: compile
 
-include $(TMP_DIR)/.pkgdeps
+include $(TMP_DIR)/.packagedeps
 
 PREREQ_PACKAGES:=$(patsubst %,%-prereq,$(prereq-y) $(prereq-m))
 DOWNLOAD_PACKAGES:=$(patsubst %,%-download,$(package-y) $(package-m))
@@ -22,25 +22,14 @@ INSTALL_PACKAGES:=$(patsubst %,%-install,$(package-y))
 $(STAMP_DIR) $(TARGET_DIR):
 	mkdir -p $@
 
+%-prereq %-download %-clean %-compile %-install: FORCE
+	$(MAKE) -C $* $(patsubst $*-%,%,$@)
+
 %-prereq: $(STAMP_DIR) $(TARGET_DIR)
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-prereq,%,$@) prereq
-
-%-download: FORCE
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-download,%,$@) download
-
-%-prepare: $(TARGET_DIR) FORCE
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-prepare,%,$@) prepare
-
+%-prepare: $(TARGET_DIR)
 %-compile: %-prepare
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-compile,%,$@) compile
 
-%-install:
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-install,%,$@) install
-
-%-clean: FORCE
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-clean,%,$@) clean
-
-$(TMP_DIR)/.pkgdeps: $(TMP_DIR)/.pkginfo
+$(TMP_DIR)/.packagedeps: $(TMP_DIR)/.packageinfo
 	@$(TOPDIR)/scripts/metadata.pl package_mk < $< > $@ || rm -f $@
 
 preconfig:
diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index 2dc8bcc7c..4bc7dfab4 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -135,20 +135,12 @@ endef
 # Parameters:
 # 	1: dependencies for the prepare step
 define default_subtargets
-  %-download: FORCE
-	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-download,%,$$@) download
-
-  %-prepare: $(1) FORCE
-	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-prepare,%,$$@) prepare
+  %-download %-prepare %-compile %-install %-clean: FORCE
+	$$(MAKE) -C $$* $$(patsubst $$*-%,%,$$@)
 
   %-compile: %-prepare 
-	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-compile,%,$$@) compile
-
   %-install: %-compile
-	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-install,%,$$@) install
-
-  %-clean: FORCE
-	@$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-clean,%,$$@) clean
+  .SILENT: %-clean
 endef