diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index beb58a1..6d3f2ce 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -558,12 +558,9 @@ $(OBJS):
 $(LIBS):	depend $(SUBDIR_TOOLS)
 		$(MAKE) $(build) $(dir $(subst $(obj),,$@))
 
-tools:	depend
+$(SUBDIRS):	depend
 		$(MAKE) $(build) $@ all
 
-$(filter-out tools,$(SUBDIRS)):	depend
-		$(MAKE) -C $@ all
-
 $(SUBDIR_EXAMPLES-y): $(obj)u-boot
 
 $(obj)u-boot.lds: $(LDSCRIPT) depend
diff --git a/examples/api/Makefile b/examples/api/Makefile
index cad10a3..f770859 100644
--- a/examples/api/Makefile
+++ b/examples/api/Makefile
@@ -11,10 +11,8 @@ ifeq ($(ARCH),arm)
 LOAD_ADDR = 0x1000000
 endif
 
-include $(TOPDIR)/config.mk
-
 # Resulting ELF and binary exectuables will be named demo and demo.bin
-OUTPUT = $(obj)demo
+extra-y = demo
 
 # Source files located in the examples/api directory
 SOBJ_FILES-y += crt0.o
@@ -43,13 +41,13 @@ OBJS	+= $(addprefix $(obj),$(COBJ_FILES-y))
 OBJS	+= $(addprefix $(obj),$(notdir $(EXT_COBJ_FILES-y)))
 OBJS	+= $(addprefix $(obj),$(notdir $(EXT_SOBJ_FILES-y)))
 
-all:	$(obj).depend $(OUTPUT)
-
 #########################################################################
 
-$(OUTPUT):	$(OBJS)
+$(obj)demo:	$(OBJS)
 		$(LD) --gc-sections -Ttext $(LOAD_ADDR) -o $@ $^ $(PLATFORM_LIBS)
-		$(OBJCOPY) -O binary $@ $(OUTPUT).bin 2>/dev/null
+
+$(obj)demo.bin: $(obj)demo
+		$(OBJCOPY) -O binary $< $@ 2>/dev/null
 
 # Rule to build generic library C files
 $(obj)%.o: $(SRCTREE)/lib/%.c
@@ -58,12 +56,3 @@ $(obj)%.o: $(SRCTREE)/lib/%.c
 # Rule to build architecture-specific library assembly files
 $(obj)%.o: $(SRCTREE)/arch/$(ARCH)/lib/%.S
 	$(CC) -g $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
-
-#########################################################################
-
-# defines $(obj).depend target
-include $(SRCTREE)/rules.mk
-
-sinclude $(obj).depend
-
-#########################################################################
diff --git a/examples/standalone/Makefile b/examples/standalone/Makefile
index 0841c75..cad4409 100644
--- a/examples/standalone/Makefile
+++ b/examples/standalone/Makefile
@@ -5,27 +5,25 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier:	GPL-2.0+
 #
 
-include $(TOPDIR)/config.mk
-
-ELF-y        := hello_world
-
-ELF-$(CONFIG_SMC91111)           += smc91111_eeprom
-ELF-$(CONFIG_SMC911X)            += smc911x_eeprom
-ELF-$(CONFIG_SPI_FLASH_ATMEL)    += atmel_df_pow2
-ELF-$(CONFIG_MPC5xxx)            += interrupt
-ELF-$(CONFIG_8xx)                += test_burst timer
-ELF-$(CONFIG_8260)               += mem_to_mem_idma2intr
-ELF-$(CONFIG_PPC)                += sched
+extra-y        := hello_world
+extra-$(CONFIG_SMC91111)           += smc91111_eeprom
+extra-$(CONFIG_SMC911X)            += smc911x_eeprom
+extra-$(CONFIG_SPI_FLASH_ATMEL)    += atmel_df_pow2
+extra-$(CONFIG_MPC5xxx)            += interrupt
+extra-$(CONFIG_8xx)                += test_burst timer
+extra-$(CONFIG_8260)               += mem_to_mem_idma2intr
+extra-$(CONFIG_PPC)                += sched
 
 #
 # Some versions of make do not handle trailing white spaces properly;
 # leading to build failures. The problem was found with GNU Make 3.80.
 # Using 'strip' as a workaround for the problem.
 #
-ELF := $(strip $(ELF-y))
+ELF := $(strip $(extra-y))
+
+extra-y += $(addsuffix .srec,$(extra-y)) $(addsuffix .bin,$(extra-y))
+clean-files  := $(extra-) $(addsuffix .srec,$(extra-)) $(addsuffix .bin,$(extra-))
 
-SREC := $(addsuffix .srec,$(ELF))
-BIN  := $(addsuffix .bin,$(ELF))
 
 COBJS	:= $(ELF:=.o)
 
@@ -42,8 +40,6 @@ LIBOBJS	= $(addprefix $(obj),$(LIBAOBJS) $(LIBCOBJS))
 SRCS	:= $(COBJS:.o=.c) $(LIBCOBJS:.o=.c) $(LIBAOBJS:.o=.S)
 OBJS	:= $(addprefix $(obj),$(COBJS))
 ELF	:= $(addprefix $(obj),$(ELF))
-BIN	:= $(addprefix $(obj),$(BIN))
-SREC	:= $(addprefix $(obj),$(SREC))
 
 gcclibdir := $(shell dirname `$(CC) -print-libgcc-file-name`)
 
@@ -60,13 +56,10 @@ endif
 # We don't want gcc reordering functions if possible.  This ensures that an
 # application's entry point will be the first function in the application's
 # source file.
-CFLAGS_NTR := $(call cc-option,-fno-toplevel-reorder)
-CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_NTR)
-
-all:	$(obj).depend $(OBJS) $(LIB) $(SREC) $(BIN) $(ELF)
+CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-fno-toplevel-reorder)
 
 #########################################################################
-$(LIB):	$(obj).depend $(LIBOBJS)
+$(LIB):	$(LIBOBJS)
 	$(call cmd_link_o_target, $(LIBOBJS))
 
 $(ELF):
@@ -75,19 +68,8 @@ $(obj)%:	$(obj)%.o $(LIB)
 			-o $@ -e $(SYM_PREFIX)$(notdir $(<:.o=)) $< $(LIB) \
 			-L$(gcclibdir) -lgcc
 
-$(SREC):
 $(obj)%.srec:	$(obj)%
 		$(OBJCOPY) -O srec $< $@ 2>/dev/null
 
-$(BIN):
 $(obj)%.bin:	$(obj)%
 		$(OBJCOPY) -O binary $< $@ 2>/dev/null
-
-#########################################################################
-
-# defines $(obj).depend target
-include $(SRCTREE)/rules.mk
-
-sinclude $(obj).depend
-
-#########################################################################
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.build b/scripts/Makefile.build
index c451fbf..50c0394 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.build
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.build
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ all:
 
 include $(TOPDIR)/config.mk
 
-LIB := $(obj)built-in.o
+# variable LIB is used in examples/standalone/Makefile
+__LIB := $(obj)built-in.o
 LIBGCC = $(obj)libgcc.o
 SRCS :=
 subdir-y :=
@@ -42,9 +43,9 @@ _dummy := $(foreach d,$(obj-dirs), $(shell [ -d $(d) ] || mkdir -p $(d)))
 
 LGOBJS := $(addprefix $(obj),$(sort $(lib-y)))
 
-all: $(LIB) $(addprefix $(obj),$(extra-y) $(always)) $(subdir-y)
+all: $(__LIB) $(addprefix $(obj),$(extra-y) $(always)) $(subdir-y)
 
-$(LIB):	$(obj).depend $(OBJS)
+$(__LIB):	$(obj).depend $(OBJS)
 	$(call cmd_link_o_target, $(OBJS))
 
 ifneq ($(strip $(lib-y)),)
