diff --git a/include/subdir.mk b/include/subdir.mk
index d079be118ed42f3b8050ec3b68577e03e0afedb7..a097db2b1dafa7bc346d7527a356459e75f06a9c 100644
--- a/include/subdir.mk
+++ b/include/subdir.mk
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ define stampfile
   $(1)/stamp-$(3):=$(if $(6),$(6),$(STAGING_DIR))/stamp/.$(2)_$(3)$(if $(5),_$(call confvar,$(5)))
   $$($(1)/stamp-$(3)): $(TMP_DIR)/.build $(4)
 	@+$(SCRIPT_DIR)/timestamp.pl -n $$($(1)/stamp-$(3)) $(1) $(4) || \
-		$(MAKE) $$($(1)/flags-$(3)) $(1)/$(3)
+		$(MAKE) $(if $(QUIET),--no-print-directory) $$($(1)/flags-$(3)) $(1)/$(3)
 	@mkdir -p $$$$(dirname $$($(1)/stamp-$(3)))
 	@touch $$($(1)/stamp-$(3))
 
diff --git a/toolchain/Makefile b/toolchain/Makefile
index 141f478522e2aebd7f508d6dfb1fa3a91d205427..5585b76dbad1a4e2153132765469cc1cae2218b8 100644
--- a/toolchain/Makefile
+++ b/toolchain/Makefile
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ ifndef DUMP_TARGET_DB
 ifneq ($(ARCH),)
   $(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/info.mk: .config
 	@for dir in $(TOOLCHAIN_DIR); do ( \
-		set -x; \
+		$(if $(QUIET),,set -x;) \
 		mkdir -p "$$dir"; \
 		cd "$$dir"; \
 		mkdir -p stamp lib usr/include usr/lib ; \
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index c3596b75918bf6d40bae760082b993909a96ff3a..80c2d116287d51bbbf78bb75b6d7ab4d3b54963b 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ $(curdir)/builddirs-default := $(tools-y)
 ifndef DUMP_TARGET_DB
 define PrepareStaging
 	@for dir in $(1); do ( \
-		set -x; \
+		$(if $(QUIET),,set -x;) \
 		mkdir -p "$$dir"; \
 		cd "$$dir"; \
 		mkdir -p bin lib include stamp; \