diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a12564ff96..dc4dbc64e1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1260,4 +1260,7 @@ include docs/manual/manual.mk
 
 .PHONY: $(noconfig_targets)
 
+# .WAIT was introduced in make 4.4. For older make, define it as phony.
+.PHONY: .WAIT
+
 endif #umask / $(CURDIR) / $(O)
diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index d55edb1b74..6e944dd6b7 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -1063,17 +1063,17 @@ endif
 			rm -f $$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_IMAGES)
 			rm -f $$($(2)_TARGET_INSTALL_HOST)
 
-$(1)-reinstall:		$(1)-clean-for-reinstall $(1)
+$(1)-reinstall:		$(1)-clean-for-reinstall .WAIT $(1)
 
 $(1)-clean-for-rebuild: $(1)-clean-for-reinstall
 			rm -f $$($(2)_TARGET_BUILD)
 
-$(1)-rebuild:		$(1)-clean-for-rebuild $(1)
+$(1)-rebuild:		$(1)-clean-for-rebuild .WAIT $(1)
 
 $(1)-clean-for-reconfigure: $(1)-clean-for-rebuild
 			rm -f $$($(2)_TARGET_CONFIGURE)
 
-$(1)-reconfigure:	$(1)-clean-for-reconfigure $(1)
+$(1)-reconfigure:	$(1)-clean-for-reconfigure .WAIT $(1)
 
 # define the PKG variable for all targets, containing the
 # uppercase package variable prefix