diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2d5a5bb2e..b0399f15b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1245,8 +1245,7 @@ checkpatch:		locate-checkpatch
 
 certtool: ${CRTTOOL}
 
-.PHONY: ${CRTTOOL}
-${CRTTOOL}:
+${CRTTOOL}: FORCE
 	${Q}${MAKE} PLAT=${PLAT} USE_TBBR_DEFS=${USE_TBBR_DEFS} COT=${COT} OPENSSL_DIR=${OPENSSL_DIR} CRTTOOL=${CRTTOOL} --no-print-directory -C ${CRTTOOLPATH}
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
 	@echo "Built $@ successfully"
@@ -1288,8 +1287,7 @@ fiptool: ${FIPTOOL}
 fip: ${BUILD_PLAT}/${FIP_NAME}
 fwu_fip: ${BUILD_PLAT}/${FWU_FIP_NAME}
 
-.PHONY: ${FIPTOOL}
-${FIPTOOL}:
+${FIPTOOL}: FORCE
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
 	@echo "Building $@"
 ifdef UNIX_MK
@@ -1302,12 +1300,10 @@ endif
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
 
 sptool: ${SPTOOL}
-.PHONY: ${SPTOOL}
-${SPTOOL}:
+${SPTOOL}: FORCE
 	${Q}${MAKE} CPPFLAGS="-DVERSION='\"${VERSION_STRING}\"'" SPTOOL=${SPTOOL} --no-print-directory -C ${SPTOOLPATH}
 
-.PHONY: libraries
-romlib.bin: libraries
+romlib.bin: libraries FORCE
 	${Q}${MAKE} PLAT_DIR=${PLAT_DIR} BUILD_PLAT=${BUILD_PLAT} ENABLE_BTI=${ENABLE_BTI} ARM_ARCH_MINOR=${ARM_ARCH_MINOR} INCLUDES='${INCLUDES}' DEFINES='${DEFINES}' --no-print-directory -C ${ROMLIBPATH} all
 
 # Call print_memory_map tool
@@ -1320,8 +1316,7 @@ doc:
 
 enctool: ${ENCTOOL}
 
-.PHONY: ${ENCTOOL}
-${ENCTOOL}:
+${ENCTOOL}: FORCE
 	${Q}${MAKE} PLAT=${PLAT} BUILD_INFO=0 OPENSSL_DIR=${OPENSSL_DIR} ENCTOOL=${ENCTOOL} --no-print-directory -C ${ENCTOOLPATH}
 	@${ECHO_BLANK_LINE}
 	@echo "Built $@ successfully"
@@ -1375,3 +1370,6 @@ help:
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "example: build all targets for the FVP platform:"
 	@echo "  CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-none-elf- make PLAT=fvp all"
+
+.PHONY: FORCE
+FORCE:;
diff --git a/plat/arm/board/common/board_common.mk b/plat/arm/board/common/board_common.mk
index 1885a600a..6db0c0031 100644
--- a/plat/arm/board/common/board_common.mk
+++ b/plat/arm/board/common/board_common.mk
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ $(eval $(call add_define,ARM_ROTPK_LOCATION_ID))
 # Force generation of the new hash if ROT_KEY is specified
 ifdef ROT_KEY
 	HASH_PREREQUISITES = $(ROT_KEY) FORCE
-FORCE:
 else
 	HASH_PREREQUISITES = $(ROT_KEY)
 endif
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_common.mk b/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_common.mk
index 712b16202..2bb0f193d 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_common.mk
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_common.mk
@@ -211,6 +211,3 @@ mrvl_flash:
 	$(error "Platform '${PLAT}' for target '$@' requires WTP. Please set WTP to point to the right directory")
 
 endif # WTP
-
-.PHONY: FORCE
-FORCE:;
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/a8k_common.mk b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/a8k_common.mk
index cf1516a28..b7c7d848d 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/a8k_common.mk
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/a8k_common.mk
@@ -166,6 +166,3 @@ ${DOIMAGETOOL}: FORCE
 .PHONY: mrvl_flash
 mrvl_flash: ${BUILD_PLAT}/${BOOT_IMAGE} ${DOIMAGETOOL}
 	${DOIMAGETOOL} ${DOIMAGE_FLAGS} ${BUILD_PLAT}/${BOOT_IMAGE} ${BUILD_PLAT}/${FLASH_IMAGE}
-
-.PHONY: FORCE
-FORCE:;
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/ble/ble.mk b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/ble/ble.mk
index 60fbf5f1d..78c62a010 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/ble/ble.mk
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a8k/common/ble/ble.mk
@@ -26,7 +26,5 @@ PLAT_INCLUDES		+= 	-I$(MV_DDR_PATH)				\
 
 BLE_LINKERFILE		:=	$(BLE_PATH)/ble.ld.S
 
-FORCE:
-
 $(MV_DDR_LIB): FORCE
 	@+make -C $(MV_DDR_PATH) --no-print-directory PLAT_INCLUDES="$(PLAT_INCLUDES)" PLATFORM=$(PLAT) ARCH=AARCH64 OBJ_DIR=$(BUILD_PLAT)/ble