diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 474cc5e66a..318a3499ab 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ endif
 
 dummy := $(call unnest-vars,, \
                 stub-obj-y \
+                chardev-obj-y \
                 util-obj-y \
                 qga-obj-y \
                 ivshmem-client-obj-y \
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ subdir-dtc:dtc/libfdt dtc/tests
 dtc/%:
 	mkdir -p $@
 
-$(SUBDIR_RULES): libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a $(common-obj-y) $(qom-obj-y) $(crypto-aes-obj-$(CONFIG_USER_ONLY))
+$(SUBDIR_RULES): libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a $(common-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y) $(qom-obj-y) $(crypto-aes-obj-$(CONFIG_USER_ONLY))
 
 ROMSUBDIR_RULES=$(patsubst %,romsubdir-%, $(ROMS))
 # Only keep -O and -g cflags
diff --git a/Makefile.objs b/Makefile.objs
index 6cf903baa1..ccd627d8bb 100644
--- a/Makefile.objs
+++ b/Makefile.objs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ common-obj-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += os-posix.o
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_LINUX) += fsdev/
 
 common-obj-y += migration/
-common-obj-y += chardev/ #aio.o
+common-obj-y += #aio.o
 common-obj-y += page_cache.o
 
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_SPICE) += spice-qemu-char.o
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ common-obj-$(CONFIG_SECCOMP) += qemu-seccomp.o
 
 common-obj-$(CONFIG_FDT) += device_tree.o
 
+chardev-obj-y = chardev/
+
 ######################################################################
 # qapi
 
diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 7a5080e94a..8799cd9972 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -170,12 +170,14 @@ all-obj-y := $(obj-y)
 target-obj-y :=
 block-obj-y :=
 common-obj-y :=
+chardev-obj-y :=
 include $(SRC_PATH)/Makefile.objs
 dummy := $(call unnest-vars,,target-obj-y)
 target-obj-y-save := $(target-obj-y)
 dummy := $(call unnest-vars,.., \
                block-obj-y \
                block-obj-m \
+               chardev-obj-y \
                crypto-obj-y \
                crypto-aes-obj-y \
                qom-obj-y \
@@ -184,6 +186,7 @@ dummy := $(call unnest-vars,.., \
                common-obj-m)
 target-obj-y := $(target-obj-y-save)
 all-obj-y += $(common-obj-y)
+all-obj-y += $(chardev-obj-y)
 all-obj-y += $(target-obj-y)
 all-obj-y += $(qom-obj-y)
 all-obj-$(CONFIG_SOFTMMU) += $(block-obj-y)
diff --git a/chardev/Makefile.objs b/chardev/Makefile.objs
index 3fc5539518..8bf131b461 100644
--- a/chardev/Makefile.objs
+++ b/chardev/Makefile.objs
@@ -1 +1 @@
-common-obj-y += char.o
+chardev-obj-y += char.o
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index ca57fe61d6..c719c7a7a4 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ tests/check-qjson$(EXESUF): tests/check-qjson.o $(test-util-obj-y)
 tests/check-qom-interface$(EXESUF): tests/check-qom-interface.o $(test-qom-obj-y)
 tests/check-qom-proplist$(EXESUF): tests/check-qom-proplist.o $(test-qom-obj-y)
 
-tests/test-char$(EXESUF): tests/test-char.o chardev/char.o qemu-timer.o $(test-util-obj-y) $(qtest-obj-y) $(test-io-obj-y)
+tests/test-char$(EXESUF): tests/test-char.o qemu-timer.o $(test-util-obj-y) $(qtest-obj-y) $(test-io-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y)
 tests/test-coroutine$(EXESUF): tests/test-coroutine.o $(test-block-obj-y)
 tests/test-aio$(EXESUF): tests/test-aio.o $(test-block-obj-y)
 tests/test-throttle$(EXESUF): tests/test-throttle.o $(test-block-obj-y)
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ tests/usb-hcd-ehci-test$(EXESUF): tests/usb-hcd-ehci-test.o $(libqos-usb-obj-y)
 tests/usb-hcd-xhci-test$(EXESUF): tests/usb-hcd-xhci-test.o $(libqos-usb-obj-y)
 tests/pc-cpu-test$(EXESUF): tests/pc-cpu-test.o
 tests/postcopy-test$(EXESUF): tests/postcopy-test.o
-tests/vhost-user-test$(EXESUF): tests/vhost-user-test.o chardev/char.o qemu-timer.o $(qtest-obj-y) $(test-io-obj-y) $(libqos-virtio-obj-y) $(libqos-pc-obj-y)
+tests/vhost-user-test$(EXESUF): tests/vhost-user-test.o qemu-timer.o $(qtest-obj-y) $(test-io-obj-y) $(libqos-virtio-obj-y) $(libqos-pc-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y)
 tests/qemu-iotests/socket_scm_helper$(EXESUF): tests/qemu-iotests/socket_scm_helper.o
 tests/test-qemu-opts$(EXESUF): tests/test-qemu-opts.o $(test-util-obj-y)
 tests/test-write-threshold$(EXESUF): tests/test-write-threshold.o $(test-block-obj-y)
