diff --git a/tools/build/Documentation/Build.txt b/tools/build/Documentation/Build.txt
index 88824359d595..a47bffbae159 100644
--- a/tools/build/Documentation/Build.txt
+++ b/tools/build/Documentation/Build.txt
@@ -113,6 +113,13 @@ It defines following interface:
       make $(build)=ex
 
 
+Fixdep
+------
+It is necessary to build the fixdep helper before invoking the build.
+The Makefile.include file adds the fixdep target, that could be
+invoked by the user.
+
+
 Rules
 -----
 
diff --git a/tools/build/Makefile.include b/tools/build/Makefile.include
index 91bc60616de5..6572bb023543 100644
--- a/tools/build/Makefile.include
+++ b/tools/build/Makefile.include
@@ -1 +1,6 @@
 build := -f $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.build dir=. obj
+
+fixdep:
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(srctree)/tools/build fixdep
+
+.PHONY: fixdep
diff --git a/tools/build/tests/ex/Makefile b/tools/build/tests/ex/Makefile
index f279b84cb859..c50d5782ad5a 100644
--- a/tools/build/tests/ex/Makefile
+++ b/tools/build/tests/ex/Makefile
@@ -3,18 +3,20 @@ export CC      := gcc
 export LD      := ld
 export AR      := ar
 
+ex:
+
 include $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.include
 
 ex: ex-in.o libex-in.o
 	gcc -o $@ $^
 
-ex.%: FORCE
+ex.%: fixdep FORCE
 	make -f $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.build dir=. $@
 
-ex-in.o: FORCE
+ex-in.o: fixdep FORCE
 	make $(build)=ex
 
-libex-in.o: FORCE
+libex-in.o: fixdep FORCE
 	make $(build)=libex
 
 clean:
diff --git a/tools/lib/api/Makefile b/tools/lib/api/Makefile
index 8806ea7c2f99..d85904dc9b38 100644
--- a/tools/lib/api/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lib/api/Makefile
@@ -23,10 +23,12 @@ RM = rm -f
 
 API_IN := $(OUTPUT)libapi-in.o
 
+all:
+
 export srctree OUTPUT CC LD CFLAGS V
 include $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.include
 
-all: $(LIBFILE)
+all: fixdep $(LIBFILE)
 
 $(API_IN): FORCE
 	@$(MAKE) $(build)=libapi
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
index c66ade68d4a1..fc9af57b666e 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/Makefile
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ endif
 # the same command line setup.
 MAKEOVERRIDES=
 
+all:
+
 export srctree OUTPUT CC LD CFLAGS V
 include $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.include
 
@@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ CMD_TARGETS = $(LIB_FILE)
 
 TARGETS = $(CMD_TARGETS)
 
-all: $(VERSION_FILES) all_cmd
+all: fixdep $(VERSION_FILES) all_cmd
 
 all_cmd: $(CMD_TARGETS)
 
diff --git a/tools/lib/lockdep/Makefile b/tools/lib/lockdep/Makefile
index d12081da383b..7e319afac78a 100644
--- a/tools/lib/lockdep/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lib/lockdep/Makefile
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ else
   print_install =		echo '  INSTALL  '$1'	to	$(DESTDIR_SQ)$2';
 endif
 
+all:
+
 export srctree OUTPUT CC LD CFLAGS V
 include $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.include
 
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ CMD_TARGETS = $(LIB_FILE)
 TARGETS = $(CMD_TARGETS)
 
 
-all: all_cmd
+all: fixdep all_cmd
 
 all_cmd: $(CMD_TARGETS)
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
index 25c1753ffbeb..56517d304772 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile.perf
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ $(OUTPUT)perf: $(PERFLIBS) $(PERF_IN) $(LIBTRACEEVENT_DYNAMIC_LIST)
 	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(LIBTRACEEVENT_DYNAMIC_LIST_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(PERF_IN) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
-$(GTK_IN): FORCE
+$(GTK_IN): fixdep FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=gtk
 
 $(OUTPUT)libperf-gtk.so: $(GTK_IN) $(PERFLIBS)
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ endif
 __build-dir = $(subst $(OUTPUT),,$(dir $@))
 build-dir   = $(if $(__build-dir),$(__build-dir),.)
 
-prepare: $(OUTPUT)PERF-VERSION-FILE $(OUTPUT)common-cmds.h
+prepare: $(OUTPUT)PERF-VERSION-FILE $(OUTPUT)common-cmds.h fixdep
 
 $(OUTPUT)%.o: %.c prepare FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/tools/build/Makefile.build dir=$(build-dir) $@
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ $(patsubst perf-%,%.o,$(PROGRAMS)): $(wildcard */*.h)
 
 LIBPERF_IN := $(OUTPUT)libperf-in.o
 
-$(LIBPERF_IN): FORCE
+$(LIBPERF_IN): fixdep FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=libperf
 
 $(LIB_FILE): $(LIBPERF_IN)
@@ -397,10 +397,10 @@ $(LIB_FILE): $(LIBPERF_IN)
 
 LIBTRACEEVENT_FLAGS += plugin_dir=$(plugindir_SQ)
 
-$(LIBTRACEEVENT): FORCE
+$(LIBTRACEEVENT): fixdep FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(TRACE_EVENT_DIR) $(LIBTRACEEVENT_FLAGS) O=$(OUTPUT) $(OUTPUT)libtraceevent.a
 
-libtraceevent_plugins: FORCE
+libtraceevent_plugins: fixdep FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(TRACE_EVENT_DIR) $(LIBTRACEEVENT_FLAGS) O=$(OUTPUT) plugins
 
 $(LIBTRACEEVENT_DYNAMIC_LIST): libtraceevent_plugins
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ $(LIBTRACEEVENT)-clean:
 install-traceevent-plugins: $(LIBTRACEEVENT)
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(TRACE_EVENT_DIR) $(LIBTRACEEVENT_FLAGS) O=$(OUTPUT) install_plugins
 
-$(LIBAPI): FORCE
+$(LIBAPI): fixdep FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -C $(LIB_DIR) O=$(OUTPUT) $(OUTPUT)libapi.a
 
 $(LIBAPI)-clean: