diff --git a/rules.mk b/rules.mk
index a6188f4a6baaffc1aa5f5651af6a7e9d1e6fe903..e363517b1cc2cfabea109c0bef31ab020480138a 100644
--- a/rules.mk
+++ b/rules.mk
@@ -130,6 +130,26 @@ $(call shvar,$(1))=$$(call $(1))
 export $(call shvar,$(1))
 endef
 
+# Default targets for subdirectory calls
+# Parameters:
+# 	1: dependencies for the prepare step
+define default_subtargets
+  %-download: FORCE
+	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-download,%,$$@) download
+
+  %-prepare: $(1) FORCE
+	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-prepare,%,$$@) prepare
+
+  %-compile: %-prepare 
+	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-compile,%,$$@) compile
+
+  %-install: %-compile
+	$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-install,%,$$@) install
+
+  %-clean: FORCE
+	@$$(MAKE) -C $$(patsubst %-clean,%,$$@) clean
+endef
+
 
 all:
 FORCE: ;
diff --git a/toolchain/Makefile b/toolchain/Makefile
index 4682dbed17b696de08dbecba16e670c200c618dc..4832a657dfa474635da6da839e49cb9f31bc1d47 100644
--- a/toolchain/Makefile
+++ b/toolchain/Makefile
@@ -16,14 +16,20 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_NATIVE_TOOLCHAIN),)
 endif
 
 TARGETS_DOWNLOAD:=$(patsubst %,%-download,$(TARGETS-y))
+TARGETS_COMPILE:=$(patsubst %,%-compile,$(TARGETS-y))
 TARGETS_INSTALL:=$(patsubst %,%-install,$(TARGETS-y))
 TARGETS_CLEAN:=$(patsubst %,%-clean,$(TARGETS-y))
+STAMP:=$(STAGING_DIR)/stampfiles/.toolchain_installed
 
 all: install
 download: $(TARGETS_DOWNLOAD)
-install: $(TARGETS_INSTALL)
+compile: $(TARGETS_COMPILE)
+install: $(STAMP) 
 clean: $(TARGETS_CLEAN)
-$(TARGETS_INSTALL): $(STAGING_DIR)/$(REAL_GNU_TARGET_NAME)
+
+ifneq ($(shell $(SCRIPT_DIR)/timestamp.pl -p . $(STAMP)),$(STAMP))
+  $(STAMP): $(TARGETS_INSTALL)
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_CCACHE),y)
   uClibc-prepare: ccache-install
@@ -36,40 +42,16 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_NATIVE_TOOLCHAIN),)
 endif
 gcc-install: uClibc-install
 
-TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR:=$(STAGING_DIR)/stampfiles
+$(STAMP):
+	mkdir -p $(shell dirname $@)
+	touch $@
 
 $(STAGING_DIR)/$(REAL_GNU_TARGET_NAME):
 	@mkdir -p $@
 	@ln -sf ../lib $@/lib
 
-$(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR):
-	mkdir -p $@
-
 $(TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_DIR):
 	@mkdir -p $@
 
-%-download: FORCE
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-download,%,$@) download
-
-%-prepare: $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR) $(STAGING_DIR)/$(REAL_GNU_TARGET_NAME) $(TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_DIR) FORCE
-	@[ -f $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR)/.toolchain_$@ ] || { \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-prepare,%,$@) prepare; \
-	}
-	@touch $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR)/.toolchain_$@
-
-%-compile: %-prepare 
-	@[ -f $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR)/.toolchain_$@ ] || { \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-compile,%,$@) compile; \
-	}
-	@touch $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR)/.toolchain_$@
-
-%-install: %-compile
-	@[ -f $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR)/.toolchain_$@ ] || { \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-install,%,$@) install; \
-	}
-	@touch $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR)/.toolchain_$@
-
-%-clean: FORCE
-	@$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-clean,%,$@) clean
-	@rm -f $(TOOLCHAIN_STAMP_DIR)/.toolchain_$(patsubst %-clean,%,$@)-*
+$(eval $(call default_subtargets,$(STAGING_DIR)/$(REAL_GNU_TARGET_NAME) $(TOOLCHAIN_BUILD_DIR)))
 
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index f8f08781b5380e23f9d02a681a53ec6f23e64eb1..d03ab38ee38343a86f6c61dc4451a5c8874ffa8e 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -11,23 +11,27 @@ TARGETS-y:=sed sstrip ipkg-utils ext2fs squashfs mtd-utils lzma mkimage firmware
 
 TARGETS_DOWNLOAD:=$(patsubst %,%-download,$(TARGETS-y))
 TARGETS_PREPARE:=$(patsubst %,%-prepare,$(TARGETS-y))
+TARGETS_COMPILE:=$(patsubst %,%-compile,$(TARGETS-y))
 TARGETS_INSTALL:=$(patsubst %,%-install,$(TARGETS-y))
 TARGETS_CLEAN:=$(patsubst %,%-clean,$(TARGETS-y))
+STAMP:=$(STAGING_DIR)/stampfiles/.tools_installed
 
 all: install
 download: $(TARGETS_DOWNLOAD)
-install: 
-	$(MAKE) install-targets
-install-targets: $(TARGETS_INSTALL)
+compile: $(TARGETS_COMPILE)
+install: $(STAMP)
 clean: $(TARGETS_CLEAN)
 
 squashfs-compile: lzma-install
 
-TOOL_STAMP_DIR:=$(STAGING_DIR)/stampfiles
-
-$(TOOL_STAMP_DIR):
-	mkdir -p $@
+ifneq ($(shell $(SCRIPT_DIR)/timestamp.pl -p . $(STAMP)),$(STAMP))
+  $(STAMP): $(TARGETS_INSTALL)
+endif
 
+$(STAMP):
+	mkdir -p $(shell dirname $@)
+	touch $@
+	
 $(STAGING_DIR)/include-host:
 	@mkdir -p $@
 	@$(CP) ./include/*.h $@/
@@ -35,30 +39,7 @@ $(STAGING_DIR)/include-host:
 $(TOOL_BUILD_DIR):
 	@mkdir -p $@
 
-%-download: FORCE
-	$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-download,%,$@) download
-
-%-prepare: $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR) $(STAGING_DIR)/include-host $(TOOL_BUILD_DIR) FORCE
-	@[ -f $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR)/.tool_$@ ] || { \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-prepare,%,$@) prepare; \
-	}
-	@touch $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR)/.tool_$@
-
-%-compile: %-prepare 
-	@[ -f $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR)/.tool_$@ ] || { \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-compile,%,$@) compile; \
-	}
-	@touch $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR)/.tool_$@
-
-%-install: %-compile
-	@[ -f $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR)/.tool_$@ ] || { \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-install,%,$@) install; \
-	}
-	@touch $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR)/.tool_$@
-
-%-clean: FORCE
-	@$(MAKE) -C $(patsubst %-clean,%,$@) clean
-	@rm -f $(TOOL_STAMP_DIR)/.tool_$(patsubst %-clean,%,$@)-*
+$(eval $(call default_subtargets,$(STAGING_DIR)/include-host $(TOOL_BUILD_DIR)))
 
 ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),install-targets)
 MAKEFLAGS:=$(MAKEFLAGS) -j$(CONFIG_JLEVEL)