diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 18abfdc4c14c33ac2b9ad0b3758470464ec696e7..dc336ef576e090d722492d0b344a82342e816755 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -430,13 +430,13 @@ endif # RIOTNOLINK
 $(ELFFILE): $(BASELIBS)
 	$(Q)$(_LINK) -o $@
 
-$(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a: $(USEPKG:%=$(BINDIR)/%.a) $(BUILDDEPS)
+$(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a: pkg-build $(BUILDDEPS)
 	$(Q)DIRS="$(DIRS)" "$(MAKE)" -C $(APPDIR) -f $(RIOTMAKE)/application.inc.mk
 $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a: FORCE
 
 # Other modules are built by application.inc.mk and packages building
-_SUBMAKE_LIBS = $(filter-out $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a $(USEPKG:%=$(BINDIR)/%.a) $(APPDEPS), $(BASELIBS))
-$(_SUBMAKE_LIBS): $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a $(USEPKG:%=$(BINDIR)/%.a)
+_SUBMAKE_LIBS = $(filter-out $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a $(APPDEPS), $(BASELIBS))
+$(_SUBMAKE_LIBS): $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a pkg-build
 
 # 'print-size' triggers a rebuild. Use 'info-buildsize' if you do not need to rebuild.
 print-size: $(ELFFILE)
@@ -471,13 +471,13 @@ ifneq (, $(filter clean, $(MAKECMDGOALS)))
     all $(BASELIBS) $(USEPKG:%=$(RIOTPKG)/%/Makefile.include) $(BUILDDEPS): clean
 endif
 
-.PHONY: pkg-prepare
+.PHONY: pkg-prepare pkg-build pkg-build-%
 pkg-prepare:
 	-@for i in $(USEPKG) ; do "$(MAKE)" -C $(RIOTPKG)/$$i prepare ; done
 
-$(USEPKG:%=$(BINDIR)/%.a): $(BUILDDEPS) FORCE
-	@mkdir -p $(BINDIR)
-	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(RIOTPKG)/$(patsubst $(BINDIR)/%.a,%,$@)
+pkg-build: $(USEPKG:%=pkg-build-%)
+pkg-build-%: $(BUILDDEPS)
+	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(RIOTPKG)/$*
 
 clean:
 	-@for i in $(USEPKG) ; do "$(MAKE)" -C $(RIOTPKG)/$$i clean ; done