diff --git a/features.in/build-distro/lib/build-distro.mk b/features.in/build-distro/lib/build-distro.mk
index 2cca06b7..0cd91fa6 100644
--- a/features.in/build-distro/lib/build-distro.mk
+++ b/features.in/build-distro/lib/build-distro.mk
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ endif
 all: $(GLOBAL_DEBUG) prep copy-subdirs copy-tree run-scripts pack-image \
 	postprocess $(GLOBAL_CLEAN_WORKDIR)
 
-prep: $(GLOBAL_DEBUG) dot-disk $(METADATA) $(IMAGEDIR)
+prep: $(GLOBAL_DEBUG) dot-disk $(METADATA) imagedir
 
 metadata: dot-base
 	@mkdir -p files/Metadata
diff --git a/features.in/build-ve/lib/build-ve.mk b/features.in/build-ve/lib/build-ve.mk
index 52f31133..2e233141 100644
--- a/features.in/build-ve/lib/build-ve.mk
+++ b/features.in/build-ve/lib/build-ve.mk
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ IMAGE_PACKAGES = $(call list,$(BASE_LISTS)) \
 
 all: $(GLOBAL_DEBUG) build-image copy-tree run-image-scripts pack-image \
 	postprocess $(GLOBAL_CLEAN_WORKDIR)
+
+prep: imagedir
diff --git a/image.in/Makefile b/image.in/Makefile
index 92edf555..733af6b3 100644
--- a/image.in/Makefile
+++ b/image.in/Makefile
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@ include $(MKIMAGE_PREFIX)/targets.mk
 
 # specified only for the final image (target-specific)
 pack-image: OUTDIR = $(IMAGEDIR)
-pack-image: $(IMAGEDIR)
+pack-image: imagedir
 
-$(IMAGEDIR):
+.PHONY: imagedir postprocess debug
+
+imagedir:
 	@mkdir -p "$(IMAGEDIR)"
 
 postprocess: