diff --git a/bin/check-recipe b/bin/check-recipe
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..43fa7f33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/check-recipe
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# missing "; @:" for recipeless rules makes SHELL payload useless
+# (see also ../lib/report.mk); this results in broken target graphs
+# (so REPORT=1 gets crippled)
+
+  sed 's/^[a-z]\+\/.*:.*$/\n&/' "$@" \
+| grep -vE '^(#|export|if|else|endif|define|endef)' \
+| sed ':loop /^[^#].*[^\\]\\$/N; s/\\\n//; t loop' \
+| grep -vE ':=| = | ?= | += |^\$' \
+| sed ':loop /^[a-z]\+\/.*:.*$/N; s/\n\t\+@*/\; /; t loop' \
+| grep -vE ';|^$' && exit 1 ||:
+
+# see also http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/228547
diff --git a/conf.d/Makefile b/conf.d/Makefile
index 3c9a8326..b2d4e113 100644
--- a/conf.d/Makefile
+++ b/conf.d/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,2 @@
-# missing "; @:" for recipeless rules makes SHELL payload useless
-# (see also ../lib/report.mk); this results in broken target graphs
-# (so REPORT=1 gets crippled)
 check:
-	@grep -E '^[a-z]+/.*: .*[^\\:]$$' *.mk
+	@../bin/check-recipe *.mk
diff --git a/features.in/Makefile b/features.in/Makefile
index a400c131..63ad79bb 100644
--- a/features.in/Makefile
+++ b/features.in/Makefile
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ define grepper_body
 	done
 endef
 
+check:
+	@../bin/check-recipe */config.mk
+
 %:
 	$(error BUILDDIR not defined)