diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e8716e566..adfdba6c2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -143,16 +143,14 @@ TF_CFLAGS_aarch64	=	-mgeneral-regs-only -mstrict-align
 ASFLAGS_aarch32		=	-march=armv8-a
 TF_CFLAGS_aarch32	=	-march=armv8-a
 
-ASFLAGS			+= 	-nostdinc -ffreestanding -Wa,--fatal-warnings	\
-				-Werror -Wmissing-include-dirs			\
-				-D__ASSEMBLY__ $(ASFLAGS_$(ARCH))		\
-				${DEFINES} ${INCLUDES}
-TF_CFLAGS		+= 	-nostdinc -ffreestanding -Wall			\
-				-Werror -Wmissing-include-dirs			\
-				-std=c99 -c -Os					\
-				$(TF_CFLAGS_$(ARCH))				\
-				${DEFINES} ${INCLUDES}
-TF_CFLAGS		+=	-ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
+CPPFLAGS		=	${DEFINES} ${INCLUDES} -nostdinc		\
+				-Wmissing-include-dirs -Werror
+ASFLAGS			+=	$(CPPFLAGS) $(ASFLAGS_$(ARCH))			\
+				-D__ASSEMBLY__ -ffreestanding 			\
+				-Wa,--fatal-warnings
+TF_CFLAGS		+=	$(CPPFLAGS) $(TF_CFLAGS_$(ARCH))		\
+				-ffreestanding -Wall -std=c99 -Os		\
+				-ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
 
 LDFLAGS			+=	--fatal-warnings -O1
 LDFLAGS			+=	--gc-sections
diff --git a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
index 16bdd7883..bf9dc7949 100644
--- a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
@@ -184,24 +184,7 @@ endef
 # Auxiliary macros to build TF images from sources
 ################################################################################
 
-# If no goal is specified in the command line, .DEFAULT_GOAL is used.
-# .DEFAULT_GOAL is defined in the main Makefile before including this file.
-ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),)
-MAKECMDGOALS := $(.DEFAULT_GOAL)
-endif
-
-define match_goals
-$(strip $(foreach goal,$(1),$(filter $(goal),$(MAKECMDGOALS))))
-endef
-
-# List of rules that involve building things
-BUILD_TARGETS := all bl1 bl2 bl2u bl31 bl32 certificates fip
-
-# Does the list of goals specified on the command line include a build target?
-ifneq ($(call match_goals,${BUILD_TARGETS}),)
-IS_ANYTHING_TO_BUILD := 1
-endif
-
+MAKE_DEP = -Wp,-MD,$(DEP) -MT $$@ -MP
 
 # MAKE_C builds a C source file and generates the dependency file
 #   $(1) = output directory
@@ -210,20 +193,14 @@ endif
 define MAKE_C
 
 $(eval OBJ := $(1)/$(patsubst %.c,%.o,$(notdir $(2))))
-$(eval PREREQUISITES := $(patsubst %.o,%.d,$(OBJ)))
+$(eval DEP := $(patsubst %.o,%.d,$(OBJ)))
 $(eval IMAGE := IMAGE_BL$(call uppercase,$(3)))
 
-$(OBJ): $(2)
+$(OBJ): $(2) | bl$(3)_dirs
 	@echo "  CC      $$<"
-	$$(Q)$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -D$(IMAGE) -c $$< -o $$@
+	$$(Q)$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -D$(IMAGE) $(MAKE_DEP) -c $$< -o $$@
 
-$(PREREQUISITES): $(2) | bl$(3)_dirs
-	@echo "  DEPS    $$@"
-	$$(Q)$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -M -MT $(OBJ) -MF $$@ $$<
-
-ifdef IS_ANYTHING_TO_BUILD
--include $(PREREQUISITES)
-endif
+-include $(DEP)
 
 endef
 
@@ -235,20 +212,14 @@ endef
 define MAKE_S
 
 $(eval OBJ := $(1)/$(patsubst %.S,%.o,$(notdir $(2))))
-$(eval PREREQUISITES := $(patsubst %.o,%.d,$(OBJ)))
+$(eval DEP := $(patsubst %.o,%.d,$(OBJ)))
 $(eval IMAGE := IMAGE_BL$(call uppercase,$(3)))
 
-$(OBJ): $(2)
+$(OBJ): $(2) | bl$(3)_dirs
 	@echo "  AS      $$<"
-	$$(Q)$$(AS) $$(ASFLAGS) -D$(IMAGE) -c $$< -o $$@
+	$$(Q)$$(AS) $$(ASFLAGS) -D$(IMAGE) $(MAKE_DEP) -c $$< -o $$@
 
-$(PREREQUISITES): $(2) | bl$(3)_dirs
-	@echo "  DEPS    $$@"
-	$$(Q)$$(AS) $$(ASFLAGS) -M -MT $(OBJ) -MF $$@ $$<
-
-ifdef IS_ANYTHING_TO_BUILD
--include $(PREREQUISITES)
-endif
+-include $(DEP)
 
 endef
 
@@ -258,19 +229,13 @@ endef
 #   $(2) = input template
 define MAKE_LD
 
-$(eval PREREQUISITES := $(1).d)
+$(eval DEP := $(1).d)
 
-$(1): $(2)
+$(1): $(2) | $(dir ${1})
 	@echo "  PP      $$<"
-	$$(Q)$$(AS) $$(ASFLAGS) -P -E -D__LINKER__ -o $$@ $$<
+	$$(Q)$$(CPP) $$(CPPFLAGS) -P -D__ASSEMBLY__ -D__LINKER__ $(MAKE_DEP) -o $$@ $$<
 
-$(PREREQUISITES): $(2) | $(dir ${1})
-	@echo "  DEPS    $$@"
-	$$(Q)$$(AS) $$(ASFLAGS) -M -MT $(1) -MF $$@ $$<
-
-ifdef IS_ANYTHING_TO_BUILD
--include $(PREREQUISITES)
-endif
+-include $(DEP)
 
 endef
 
@@ -358,7 +323,7 @@ ifdef MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
 else
 	@echo 'const char build_message[] = "Built : "$(BUILD_MESSAGE_TIMESTAMP); \
 	       const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}";' | \
-		$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -xc - -o $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o
+		$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -xc -c - -o $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o
 endif
 	$$(Q)$$(LD) -o $$@ $$(LDFLAGS) -Map=$(MAPFILE) --script $(LINKERFILE) \
 					$(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o $(OBJS)
diff --git a/make_helpers/windows.mk b/make_helpers/windows.mk
index fe5e8c1fe..c4317d53d 100644
--- a/make_helpers/windows.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/windows.mk
@@ -104,6 +104,6 @@ BUILT_TIME_DATE_STRING = const char build_message[] = "Built : "${BUILD_MESSAGE_
 VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE = const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}";
 define MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
 	@echo $$(BUILT_TIME_DATE_STRING) $$(VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE) | \
-		$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -x c - -o $1
+		$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -x c -c - -o $1
 endef