diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index db3cb73d3088..418d205581d5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ ifneq ($(sub-make-done),1)
 # (this increases performance and avoids hard-to-debug behaviour)
 MAKEFLAGS += -rR
 
+# 'MAKEFLAGS += -rR' does not become immediately effective for old
+# GNU Make versions. Cancel implicit rules for this Makefile.
+$(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)): ;
+
 # Avoid funny character set dependencies
 unexport LC_ALL
 LC_COLLATE=C
@@ -120,9 +124,6 @@ ifeq ("$(origin O)", "command line")
   KBUILD_OUTPUT := $(O)
 endif
 
-# Cancel implicit rules on top Makefile
-$(CURDIR)/Makefile Makefile: ;
-
 ifneq ($(words $(subst :, ,$(CURDIR))), 1)
   $(error main directory cannot contain spaces nor colons)
 endif
@@ -303,8 +304,6 @@ __build_one_by_one:
 
 else
 
-# We need some generic definitions (do not try to remake the file).
-scripts/Kbuild.include: ;
 include scripts/Kbuild.include
 
 # Read KERNELRELEASE from include/config/kernel.release (if it exists)
@@ -1760,9 +1759,7 @@ cmd_crmodverdir = $(Q)mkdir -p $(MODVERDIR) \
 # read saved command lines for existing targets
 existing-targets := $(wildcard $(sort $(targets)))
 
-cmd_files := $(foreach f,$(existing-targets),$(dir $(f)).$(notdir $(f)).cmd)
-$(cmd_files): ;	# Do not try to update included dependency files
--include $(cmd_files)
+-include $(foreach f,$(existing-targets),$(dir $(f)).$(notdir $(f)).cmd)
 
 endif   # ifeq ($(config-targets),1)
 endif   # ifeq ($(mixed-targets),1)