diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7ffae296..ce2c5b71 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 # collect proceedings
 
 ifeq (,$(CHECK))
-ifeq (,$(DEBUG))
 ifneq (,$(REPORT))
-$(warning REPORT is disabled, DEBUG must be enabled for this)
+ifeq (,$(DEBUG))
+export DEBUG=1
+$(warning DEBUG is enabled, since REPORT is enabled)
 endif
 endif
 endif
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ SHELL = /bin/bash
 			fi; \
 			say "** BRANCH/ARCH: $(BRANCH)/$$ARCH"; \
 		fi; \
-		if [ -n "$(REPORT)" ] && [ -n "$(DEBUG)" ] && [ -z "$(CHECK)" ]; then \
+		if [ -n "$(REPORT)" ]; then \
 			REPORT_PATH=$$(mktemp --tmpdir mkimage-profiles.report.XXXXXXX); \
 			$(MAKE) -f main.mk ARCH=$$ARCH $@ | report-filter > $$REPORT_PATH || exit 1; \
 			$(MAKE) -f reports.mk ARCH=$$ARCH REPORT=$(REPORT) REPORT_PATH=$$REPORT_PATH; \
diff --git a/lib/report.mk b/lib/report.mk
index 5e52550f..7785ce5a 100644
--- a/lib/report.mk
+++ b/lib/report.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 # enable make target tracing
 
-ifeq (,$(CHECK))
-ifneq (,$(DEBUG))
 ifneq (,$(REPORT))
 TRACE_PREFIX := trace:building
 OLD_SHELL := $(SHELL)
@@ -9,5 +7,3 @@ SHELL = $(info $(TRACE_PREFIX) $@$(if $^$|, -> $^ $|))$(OLD_SHELL)
 # piggyback BUILDDIR back into supervising environment
 $(info $(TRACE_PREFIX) BUILDDIR = $(BUILDDIR))
 endif
-endif
-endif
diff --git a/reports.mk b/reports.mk
index 4cc88b83..92a7a2a5 100644
--- a/reports.mk
+++ b/reports.mk
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ define report_body
 fi; }
 endef
 
+ifeq (,$(CHECK))
 all: reports/targets reports/scripts reports/cleanlog \
 	reports/contents reports/packages
 	@rm -fr "$(LOGDIR)/$(IMAGE_OUTFILE).reports"
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ ifeq (2,$(REPORT))
 	@cd "$(LOGDIR)" && tar -cf "$(IMAGE_OUTFILE).reports.tar" "$(IMAGE_OUTFILE).reports" && \
 		rm -r "$(IMAGE_OUTFILE).reports"
 endif
+else
+all: reports/targets; @:
+endif
 
 reports/prep:
 	@mkdir -p "$(REPORTDIR)" "$(LOGDIR)"